


Face My Fury

by lightnwolf101



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Homunculus Riza Hawkeye, Wrath!Riza
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-07 12:16:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 39,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21457918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightnwolf101/pseuds/lightnwolf101
Summary: After Fuhrer King Bradley is killed during the Ishvalan War, Riza Hawkeye is chosen as the new Wrath, setting off a chain of events. Despite her loyalty to Father, the new homunculus can't seem to get rid of anything related to Hawkeye, especially when it comes to Roy Mustang.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Comments: 18
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

When Riza Hawkeye wakes up, she notices the light glaring down on her. She moves her head away so that her eyes can readjust. That is when she realizes that she is strapped to a table. She does not know how she ended up here and tries to remember what had happened.

She recalls being in Ishval, reuniting with her father’s old apprentice on the field before she returned to her post. She remembers her post hiding in an abandoned building, scoping out for targets. Finally, she remembers shooting down an Ishvalan before he can attack Roy. That is when the explosion happens behind her. She turns her head to see it coming towards her. She isn’t given a chance to react when her back and left side of her face take the brunt of the explosion. After that, everything went dark.

“She’s awake,” a voice purred.

A woman in a black dress steps out. Riza notices a tattoo on her sternum and recognizes it as the Ouroboros from her father’s alchemy books.

“Ohhh, can I eat her? Can I? Can I?”

A stout, bald man comes up next to the woman, staring at Riza hungrily as he sticks a finger in his mouth. The woman pets his head affectionately, “No, Gluttony. Father needs her.”

“Who are you people? What do you want with me?” Riza questions.

“You don’t get to ask questions here, _human_,” a third voice says. A person with long, wispy hair comes and sneers at her, “I can’t wait for the show to get started.”

A booming voice comes, “That’s enough, Envy.” All three people stiffen and turn to see a blond, bearded man walking towards Riza. He stops next to the table and leans over to look at Riza.

“Riza Hawkeye, out of all the candidates, you are chosen to be bestowed an honor. With your skills and growing reputation, I have deemed you worthy. Now, the question is: are you strong enough to become my _Wrath_?”

A man in a lab coat walks up to the table. He smiles gleefully, revealing his gold tooth as he holds up a syringe. Riza eyes him apprehensively, “What are you going to do to me?”

“Oh, don’t worry. This will be over soon,” the gold-toothed man coos. He plunges the needle into her arm and injects the red fluid.

Riza feels as if cold water has washed over her body. However, the feeling quickly leaves as it is replaced with shear burning sensation. She screams as she twists and turns against her restraints. Her fingers curl at the table as she bleeds out. She can feel her insides being torn apart. She can feel the thousands of tormented souls fighting for control. Out of the cacophony of voices, one is loud and clear.

_Tell me, what has angered you?_

She remembers the parts of her life in which she felt such an emotion that she would quickly suppress. Her anger at her father for taking advantage of her devotion by tattooing his research onto her back. At Roy for his use of flame alchemy in the war. And most of all, at herself for all the lives she had taken.

_If you wish to live, give in. Embrace it. Your fury._

* * *

She wakes up to find the doctor peering at her. He smiles excitedly, “It’s a success.”

She finds herself still restrained onto the table. However, she also finds that she cannot recollect what had led up to this.

“Look at me, child.”

She looks at the blond man on the other side of the table. He looks at her critically, trying to look for any flaws.

“It appears that the operation did not heal the damage from the explosion. A pity. We cannot salvage the tattoo on your back. I suppose it should be no surprise that we cannot fix what has already been damaged before the operation. No matter, we will move forward. Do you know who I am, my child?”

“Yes, you are my Father,” she says automatically.

Father nods in satisfaction. However, the new homunculus is still confused from her lack of memories.

“Who am I, Father?”

“You are Wrath. You inhabit the body of Riza Hawkeye. Do you not have her memories?”

She opens her mouth to respond no, but freezes when Hawkeye’s memories all come back to her.

“You saying her name has triggered them back, Father.”

“Good, then we have no other drawbacks.”

The doctor released the restraints. Wrath sat up, swinging her legs off the table and got off. She sees the three other homunculi in front of her and recognizes them: Lust, Gluttony, and Envy.

Envy gives her an once-over and scoffs. They turn around and walk away, not bothering to give her a welcome. On the other hand, Gluttony waddles to her and hugs her. Wrath isn’t sure how to respond.

“Look, Lust! Wrath’s back!” Gluttony says with childlike excitement.

“That’s right, Gluttony,” Lust purrs as she pats his back. “Now, let her go. She looks scared stiff,” she chuckles.

Wrath narrows her eyes at Lust, feeling insulted. Ignoring her glare, Lust walks up to her, only stopping when she is a few inches away. She places a hand on Wrath’s face. She runs it down to her shoulder and then all the way to her hand. Wrath remained impassive as Lust lifts her hand and inspects it.

Giving a hum of approval, Lust lets go of the hand, “I like this body better than the old Wrath’s. It makes me almost envious. If it was me who was killed, I would have had it.”

“Careful, Lust. You’re close to Envy’s domain,” Wrath said warningly.

Unfazed, Lust chuckles and steps away. Wrath realizes what Lust had said.

“There was another Wrath before me?”

“Yes, he was the leader of this nation. Unfortunately, he was killed due to an assassination. He escaped but his lack of regenerative abilities proved to be his downfall,” Father answered. “Speaking of which, hold out your hand.”

Wrath held out her hand and let Father cut it. She watched the red sparks as the cut healed itself.

“Good, you are an even better success than your predecessor.”

Wrath wonders why Father had chosen this specific human to be her host. Riza Hawkeye is only a cadet. Compared to the Wrath before her, her role seemed insignificant.

“Why did you choose her, Father? What does she have that is so useful?”

“Patience, my child. I will tell you. But first, we must begin to prepare you. You are returning to the battlefield.”

* * *

According to Father, Riza Hawkeye had been gaining fame as a top sniper, earning the nickname ‘Hawk’s Eye’. He believed that this reputation could be taken advantage of. Just like the first Wrath had done, she was to build it up so that she could have influence in the military. It was planned for her to rise through the ranks. Ideally, she could become the Fuhrer, but it would not be realistic with her age. Instead, they settled for her to raise her status enough so that she will have the freedom to operate for Father without suspicion. It especially helped that Hawkeye’s skill sets went well with Wrath’s Ultimate Eye.

Like the one before her, Wrath has to wear an eyepatch to hide her Ultimate Eye. The damage from the explosion had proven to be a blessing in disguise. It turned out that the explosion had left a jagged scar running down the left side of her face and over the eye. While the eyepatch hid the eye, it did not hide the scar. It would help strengthen the cover that her eye is missing.

After preparations are complete, Father sends Wrath back to Ishval. Hawkeye has been gone for two months, presumably to heal from the wounds she got from the explosion. She has only been in the camp for a short time when someone already recognizes her.

“Riza?” a young man whispers hoarsely. He looks at her as if he has seen a ghost. Wrath recognizes him as Roy Mustang from Hawkeye’s memories.

She salutes him, “Major Mustang.”

He walks up to her and stops a few feet away from her. “You’re alive. After that explosion, I thought…”

“I’m alive and well, sir. I was gone because I had to let my wounds heal.”

Mustang nodded. He ran his eyes up and down her body, as if making sure that she was indeed real. He notices her eyepatch and widens his eyes, “Your eye. It’s…”

Wrath winces, “Yes, not everything healed unfortunately.”

Mustang runs a hand through his hair, “Damn, I’m so sorry, Riza. I should have done more to protect you.” Wrath can see the guilt and despair on his face. She feels oddly sympathetic towards him. It must be due to Hawkeye’s attachment to him.

Wrath replies with what she believes Hawkeye would have said, “It’s not your fault, Major. You couldn’t have known that the explosion would happen. Besides, it’s what I deserve for everything I’ve done.”

Mustang gives her a mournful look, “No, Hawkeye. You of all people don’t deserve any of this.”

Wrath isn’t sure what to say to that. All she can do is give him a sad look, hoping that it is what Hawkeye would have done. The bell saves her, signaling the soldiers to return to their posts. She takes her rifle and turns to leave.

“I’m glad you’re alive, Hawkeye,” Mustang calls out. Wrath stops and turns her head. After giving him a long look, she nods and walks away.

* * *

The war escalates and drags on. The death of Fuhrer King Bradley is pinned onto the Ishvalans, giving the military a new reason to carry out Order 3066. General Gardner, one of Father’s pawns, is made the new Fuhrer.

As Father commands, Wrath becomes more well-known as the Hawk’s Eye. Her shooting record becomes unprecedented for a cadet. She is not the only one gaining notoriety. Roy Mustang is becoming known as the Hero of Ishval. Through her scope, she watches as he uses flame alchemy to bring swift ends to his victims. She can see his guilt every time he does so.

To her irritation, she feels a twinge of sadness every time she sees the despair eating at him. It seems that Riza Hawkeye is not gone at all. Through her memories, her emotions bleed into Wrath. She does not like the implication and refuses to even consider it. After all, she is a homunculus. She is a perfect being made by Father.

Despite her slight anger, she finds that she does enjoy Roy’s company. She knows that he takes comfort in hers. He admits to her that knowing that she is alive helps him get through the war. He tells her of his ambitions of climbing to the top so that he can change the country for the better.

She both admires and pities his determination. She knows that climbing to the top will not be possible for him unless he joins in Father’s plans. Wrath especially knows that Roy will not join them. So she stays silent and leaves him to his aspirations.

* * *

Thanks to Roy’s alchemy, he brings a fast end to the war when he stops the struggle in Dahlia. After Fuhrer Gardner gives a speech for their bravery and heroism, the soldiers get ready to go back.

The night before they leave, Roy and Wrath sit next to each other as they watch the stars. Roy tells Wrath that he is going to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel when they come back. He asks her to work for him when she leaves the academy.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse, sir.”

Roy blinks in surprise, “I see. May I ask why?”

Wrath looks at him, “I already have job lined up at Central and…”

She didn’t need to tell him that said job was actually working for Father and making sure that his plans will proceed. She turns her head away from him to look at the stars.

“…I have my own ambitions,” she finishes. She also didn’t need to let him know that her ambitions were to make sure he will live through the Promised Day.

When she finishes telling her reason, she feels her hand tremble beside her on the sand. The familiar feeling of irritation runs through her body. She just can’t seem to shake Riza Hawkeye off her.

* * *

They separate after that night. She goes back to Central while he is assigned to Eastern Command. She is somewhat relieved. Hawkeye’s attachment to him bothers her despite the fact the Wrath likes having him around. The more distance between them, the better she can operate for Father.

Even then, his presence is not completely gone. It comes in the form of Maes Hughes, Roy’s best friend. He is also assigned to Central to work in the Investigations Office. He loves to barge in while she is working and sit with her during lunch. He especially loves to gush about his girlfriend and how he’s really, really, really, absolutely positive that she is the one. He would then proceed to show her his array of pictures of Gracia. Strangely, Wrath is not even irritated by this. Instead, she is amused by how the human can form such an infatuation. Humans are truly strange. She does wonder why Hughes seems intent on striking up a friendship with her. She asks him this.

“The truth is that Roy asked me to watch over you. The war left a mark on all of us.”

“I see,” Wrath replies.

“Besides, I want to get to know the woman he’s attached to. He used to talk about you occasionally back in the academy and he was lost when he thought the explosion killed you.”

“Is that so?” Wrath feels a confusing mixture of fondness and annoyance. She knows that she feels annoyed that Mustang will have an eye on her. She doesn’t want to think about why she feels the fondness towards him. She stands up and picks up her tray. She tells Hughes, “Tell the Lieutenant Colonel that I appreciate his concern.”

With that, she leaves to put away the tray.

* * *

As the years go by, everything goes according to Father’s plan for Wrath. With her fame among the soldiers, she steadily rises through the ranks all the way to Captain. Assigned under General Raven, she is finally given the freedom to work for Father without suspicion.

She is not only well known with the soldiers but also with the citizens. She makes sure to play the good soldier and helps with any citizens in need, increasing her popularity. It gets to the point where the media sing praises about her, the soldiers are more than willing to listen to her command without question, and citizens recognize her on the streets. She becomes just as loved as her predecessor had been.

Apparently, she is not the only young hotshot. Maes lets her know that Roy is also making himself known back in Eastern Command. He is being promoted to Colonel.

“I’m proud of you, you know. For how far you’ve come,” Roy tells her during a call. He calls her occasionally to check on her and Wrath doesn’t see the harm in it. After all, she can still keep some distance away from him while keeping updates on one of Father’s potential sacrifices.

“Thank you, sir. I believe a congratulation is in order for you, Colonel”

“Ah yes, they just can’t enough of me. So, it turns out I’ll be visiting Central in a few days.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“I’ve recruited someone to become a State Alchemist. I’m escorting him to his exam.”

“I see. What is his name?” Wrath never told Roy that she is actually part of the board that oversees the exam and is scheduled to evaluate potential alchemists in a few days.

“Edward Elric. He’s only twelve years old, but I was told he’s a prodigy.”

“Twelve years old? That is highly unusual.”

“I know. I’m interested to see what he can do in the practical exam.”

“I am too. Well, I must go now. I’ll see you in a few days, Colonel.”

“And I’ll see you, Captain.”

Wrath put the phone back onto the hook. Turning around, she isn’t surprised to see a soldier watching her. He gives her a gleeful smile as if he caught her sneaking a hand in a cookie jar. She knows who he is.

Envy.

* * *

Father summons her the next day. She has no doubt that Envy told him about her being in contact with Roy.

She bows her head to him, “Father.”

“Wrath, Envy has informed me you have been maintaining a… relationship with the Flame Alchemist.”

“I have no attachment to him if that is what Envy told you.”

“Oh?”

“I believe him to be a potential sacrifice for you, Father. Not only that, he has also been charged with recruiting State Alchemists. Through him, I can keep track of prospective resources.”

Father raises his eyebrows, “So you truly believe this will be beneficial to us?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Very well,” Father leans back into his throne. “I will allow you to pursue this. You are dismissed.”

“Thank you, Father.”

She leaves his room and enters the tunnels that lead back to Headquarters. She finds Envy glaring at her, disappointed that she went unpunished. Wrath glares back at them, “Just what were you trying to accomplish?”

“Tch, I just wanted to see Father put you in your place. Or better yet, decommission you.”

Wrath raises an eyebrow. She and Envy never got along. She knew Envy especially disliked her for her human origin. However, they were willing hold back for the sake of Father’s plan. Wrath wondered what had she had done to make Envy target her.

She feels arms embracing her from behind. She remains unmoved when Lust purrs into her ear, “Oh my, Envy’s jealous of you. You see, Father has been pleased with you lately. I suppose it was only natural that Envy reacts this way.”

Envy glares at Lust while Wrath rolls her eyes. Lust was always like this with her. She would flirt shamelessly even though Wrath never gave a response to any of her advances. Wrath steps out of Lust’s arms and gives Envy a warning look.

“I don’t care about what you think of me. But if you get in my way, you interfere with Father’s plan. Do this again and I’ll make sure he decommissions _you_. Am I clear?”

Envy gave her a hateful look. “Crystal,” they replied through their teeth.

“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to prepare for some exams in a few days.”

As she walks away from them, she tries to steady her trembling hands and suppress the rage bubbling inside.

* * *

She meets Roy again when she comes to evaluate Edward Elric in the practical exam. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see that he is surprised to see her.

She stands on the small platform, flanked by two other proctors. She observes the young boy before her, “I see you have an automail arm.”

He rubbed his prosthetic arm, “Yeah, I lost my arm from the eastern conflict.”

Wrath nods sympathetically, “I see, you had a hard time from Ishval as well.”

The boy looks and points at her, “Who are you exactly?”

The soldier beside him hisses, “You idiot! That’s Captain Riza Hawkeye! She’s a hero!”

Edward turns to look at her critically, “Hmph.”

Unfazed, Wrath gives a reassuring smile, “You may begin.”

He proceeds to transmute a spear and Wrath notices a certain detail. The boy is transmuting without a circle. While everyone in the room watch in awe, Wrath stays calm. She doesn’t show that she is pleased with what she is seeing for she knows what it means.

Edward Elric has committed human transmutation, meaning that Wrath has found a sacrifice for Father. Indeed, Father will be pleased to hear this. Then, Edward charges at her with the spear. The soldiers along with the two other proctors react by drawing their guns. She raises her hand to stop them, unmoved even with the spear pointing at her face.

“You know, some people might see this as a way to assassinate a celebrity. You might want to rethink how you conduct these exams,” Edward says.

Unbothered, Wrath signals the soldiers to lower their weapons. She gives the boy a small smile, “You got guts. That’s good, but you still have a lot to learn.”

She turns to leave the room. She smirks in amusement when she hears the boy shout as his spear falls apart. No doubt, he finally realizes that she had drawn her sword during his attack. When Wrath leaves the room, she hears a familiar voice, “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Captain Hawkeye.”

She sheathes her sword and turns to face Roy. She salutes him, “Colonel.”

“At ease, soldier.” Wrath relaxed as Roy eyed her sword, “So you’ve taken up sword fighting.”

Resting her hand on the hilt, she shrugged, “I thought I might add more to my skill sets.” In reality, the only thing she remembered from the first Wrath was his skills in sword fighting. She thought it would be a waste not to put them to use, so she integrated them slowly over the years.

“I think it suits you. So… you didn’t tell me you are part of the examination board.”

“I couldn’t have people thinking I show favoritism towards you.”

“Fair enough.” His eyes soften, “How is everything?”

“My job keeps me busy, but I have Maes to keep me company.”

Roy chuckles, “I bet his pictures of Gracia and Elicia keep you company as well.”

Wrath gives a small smile, “About twenty of them.”

He gives a full-blown laughter. Wrath can’t help but feel more at ease. She doesn’t even feel irritated. It must be because of her good mood from the exam. After calming down, Roy sighed flippantly, “I’ll have to stop by to see him. He’ll give me an earful if I don’t. But before I do that, how about we have dinner? For old time’s sake?”

Wrath is especially pleased with what she has seen in the exam. She knows that she has proven to Father that keeping in touch with Roy is indeed helpful. It would be wasteful to ruin her good mood, “Sure, I don’t see why not.”

She reminds herself to report the good news to Father later.


	2. Chapter 2

As expected, Father is pleased with the news Wrath delivers him. He even gives her a very rare smile and assigns her the task of ensuring the well-beings of Roy and Edward for the Promised Day. Envy glares furiously at her from behind his throne. Wrath ignores them, not allowing them to ruin her good mood. The effort proves to be wasted when Father gives her another assignment.

“I also want you to start a new cover with Pride.”

It takes effort on Wrath’s part not to stiffen, “May I ask why, Father?”

He waves a hand dismissively, “I have my reasons and I trust that you do as I tell you.”

Knowing not to push further, she answers, “Then it shall be done, Father.”

“Good, now go. You have work to do.”

* * *

The next day, she goes to meet Roy before he has to leave for East City. He brings Edward along to meet her. To her amusement, the boy avoids looking at her. The Colonel notices as well and grins, “I don’t believe you both have properly met. This is Captain Hawkeye, Edward.”

Edward shifts his feet nervously and looks at Wrath, “Pleased to meet you… and sorry about pointing a spear at your face.”

Wrath smiles, “It’s quite alright. It won’t affect your results if that’s what you’re worried about.”

He flushes in embarrassment as Roy laughs. Wrath invites them to breakfast. They have plenty of time before the train leaves. She takes them to a restaurant that offers private rooms. As they eat, she makes conversation with both Roy and Edward. Throughout their talk, she notices the boy becoming more relaxed. She gets to know more about him, about how he is from Resembool with his younger brother and that they live with their childhood friend and her grandmother.

Finally, Wrath asks, “So, Edward, why do you want to become a State Alchemist?”

He stiffens and looks at Roy in hesitance. Roy says reassuringly, “We can trust her.”

Edward then explains how he committed human transmutation with his brother and what they lost as a result. That they hope to get their bodies back. Wrath takes note that she has found another sacrifice through the younger brother.

“And how do you think you’ll get them back?” Wrath asks.

“We’re hoping to find the Philosopher’s Stone.” This catches Wrath’s attention. She wonders if this is something she could take advantage of. She would have to keep a closer eye on the brothers to see.

Choosing her words carefully, she responds, “The Philosopher’s Stone? Isn’t that just a legend?”

“All the books we’ve studied are consistent on what it can do even though it goes by different names. It has to be real and we won’t give up until we get it.” Wrath sees the determination in the boy’s eyes and finds herself interested to see what he will do to find the stone.

She decides to give him the encouragement, “With or without the stone, I truly hope that you and your brother will reach your goal, so don’t give up.”

Edward looks at her in awe and nods his appreciation. She quickly glances at Roy and sees him studying her with an unreadable expression. After making more idle talk, she pays the bill and escorts them to the train.

“You go ahead and find a seat, Ed. I’ll catch up to you,” Roy says. After watching the boy disappear into the train, he turns to her, “You chose that specific restaurant for a reason, didn’t you?”

Wrath looks at him steadily, “I thought it was suspicious that a twelve year old boy could transmute without a circle, so I thought I try to find out why. Don’t worry, I can assure you whatever was said stays in that room.”

Roy gives her a relieved smile, “Thank you, Captain. You still sure you won’t work for me? I could use your skills to watch my back.”

“I’ll have to refuse again, sir. I still got my ambitions,” Wrath says.

She sees a flash of sadness in the Colonel’s eyes. She herself feels a twinge. She shakes it off along with the irritation that comes after. The train whistles, signaling its departure. Roy sighs, “I’ll call you when I get back. Good bye, Captain.”

Wrath salutes him, “Have a safe trip, Colonel.”

She watches the train leave. After watching it disappear into the horizon, her mood turns sour when she remembers the task Father assigned. She wonders why he wants her to work with Pride. Is it to have Pride watch her? She didn’t think she did anything wrong to make Father suspect her. Feeling frustrated, she clenches her hand to try to stop them from trembling. She could only hope that Pride will not interfere with her work. As she walks back to Central Command, she tries to come up with potential covers.

Act as her adopted son? No, she would be too busy to care for a child.

A distant relative of one of the pawns? Not a good cover but probably the only best option.

She is pulled from her thoughts when she notices a car heading towards an unsuspecting woman crossing the street. Reacting quickly, she runs and grabs the woman, pulling her out of the way. The car continues to speed past as bystanders stand in shock. Wrath looks at the woman, “Are you alright, ma’am?”

She is visibly shaken, “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry for troubling you! I’ve just been so distracted today!”

“Oh, no, it’s no trouble, ma’am,” Wrath comforts her. Looking at her, the woman looks familiar.

The woman sighs sadly, “It had to happen on my bodyguard’s day off.” She looks at Wrath and widens her eyes, recognizing her.

“Oh, you’re Riza Hawkeye!”

Wrath nods, “Yes, I am.”

“You may not recognize me since I haven’t been on the newspapers lately, but you probably know my husband as the late Fuhrer King Bradley.”

Wrath widens her eyes slightly. So this is the woman that her predecessor chose as his wife. What a strange coincidence.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Mrs. Bradley.”

“Oh no, I should be thanking you for saving my life. Could I trouble you for some tea? It’s the least I can do to say thank you.”

Wrath considers Mrs. Bradley’s offer. It wouldn’t hurt to say yes. After all, Wrath has a feeling Mrs. Bradley will continue to be useful even after her husband’s death.

She smiles warmly, “I would love to.”

* * *

After that, Wrath visits Mrs. Bradley in her mansion on a weekly basis. Seeing that the woman is living with only a housekeeping staff, she can tell that the widow is still saddened by her husband’s death and wishes for some company.

During one visit, Mrs. Bradley tells her, “My husband and I were unable to have children. It would have been nice to have a family, but things didn’t work out for us.”

She looks at Wrath with a wistful smile and continues, “You remind me of my husband and I’m not just talking about the eyepatch. You have the same dedication as he did to the military. Sometimes, I think you could have been the child we never had.”

It occurs to Wrath that the older woman needs and wants someone to care for. She thinks of the Elric brothers and that is when the idea comes.

She found the perfect cover for Pride.

* * *

After Father gives his approval, Wrath waits a month to act on her plan. When she comes to visit, she surprises Mrs. Bradley with news: she found an orphan boy distantly related to her husband. Of course, said orphan is actually Pride. Mrs. Bradley was elated at the news and immediately went to adopt him. She had thanked Wrath countless times for this selfless act.

Pride adopts the name of Selim Bradley and acts as a boy who sees Wrath as an older sister. Wrath could only imagine how Pride must feel playing a little brother. It’s the only amusement she gets from this cover.

She realizes why Father had assigned her the task when she sees the effects it has. The public applauds her for taking care of the widow of their beloved late Fuhrer. The soldiers respect her more than ever. She notices that she has more influence than the pawns despite their ranks. Father wants her to have as much leverage as possible. She also sees that the cover has made infiltration easier for Pride.

Roy tells her that he’s happy that she has found a family. Despite this, Wrath can hear the longing in his voice. She holds down the need to comfort him, to tell him that it is all not real. Damn Hawkeye. She still hasn’t left.

* * *

Wrath continues to keep in touch with Roy and see him when he comes to visit. She becomes close with Maes and his family, becoming an aunt to his daughter. Through Roy, Wrath keeps track of Elric brothers’ journeys. She finds that they are not close to finding the Philosopher’s Stone. However, she finds herself to be disappointed when she sees that they are the kind of people who would be disgusted if they were to find out what the stone is made of. She hoped to make an offer if it were otherwise.

Three years pass by uneventfully until a potential sacrifice resurfaces. Isaac McDougal. She recalls that he was provided with a Philosopher’s Stone during the war, but then he disappeared with it. They haven’t been able to find him ever since.

When Wrath hears reports of soldiers found frozen, she knows that the situation must be addressed immediately. She makes the suggestion to the Fuhrer to have all available soldiers and alchemists look for him. It just so happens that Roy and the Elric brothers are in Central. The Fuhrer puts Roy in charge of the search.

On the first night, the brothers are able to catch him only for the Freezing Alchemist to escape. Wrath goes to meet them in Roy’s office. When she enters, she catches Edward yelling at Roy and takes note of the suit of armor. They turn to look at her. She gives a welcoming smile, “It’s been a while, Fullmetal Alchemist.”

Shaking off his surprise, he raises his hand in greeting, “Hey, Captain Hawkeye. This is my younger brother, Alphonse.”

Wrath goes to shake the armor’s hand, “It’s finally good to meet you, Alphonse. Your brother has told me a lot about you.”

“H-he did?” He turns to Edward in question.

“Don’t worry, Al. We can trust her. She knows about our situation.”

“Oh, I see.”

Before she can say more, Maes barges in to Roy’s annoyance. Wrath watches in amusement when Maes mistakes Alphonse to be the Fullmetal Alchemist. He then offers a place to stay for the brothers. After they leave, Wrath looks at Roy with a smile, “That was nice of Maes to do this.”

Roy shakes his head in humor, “I wonder if they can handle his countless pictures.”

They share a chuckle. As soon as the moment is over, Wrath goes straight to business, “Did you find out about McDougal’s motives?”

Roy sighs, “No, the only thing we got is what he told the brothers. According to them, he said, ‘Great deeds require great sacrifice’.”

Wrath gives him an alarmed look, “Great sacrifice? It sounds like he planning something huge if he believes it’s for the greater good.”

“Yeah… I don’t like the sound of this.”

She looks at the map of the city on the wall. Great deeds. Great sacrifice. Philosopher’s Stone. She had a sneaking suspicion of the rogue alchemist’s intentions.

“Colonel, can you have soldiers search where there have been reported sightings of McDougal?”

Roy gives her a puzzled look, “Sure, what do you think they’ll find?”

“I’m not sure, but I have a feeling he left some clues.”

“Okay, then hopefully there’s something that can help us.” He sighs as he runs a hand through his hair, “I need to get this right. I need to get that promotion to Central.”

Wrath raises an eyebrow, “Hmm, that’s strange. It just so happens that I’m trying to get a promotion to Major.”

He smirks, “Is that a challenge, Captain?”

She shrugs lazily, “I suppose it is, Colonel. Besides, I need something new to brag about to Selim.”

His smirk turns into a mischievous smile, “Then may the best win.”

Wrath finds that she misses having moments like these. She sees herself hoping for more.

* * *

The next day, her suspicion increases when Roy tells her that soldiers have found transmutation circles at the reported sightings. After hearing that McDougal has made visit at Central Prison during the night, Wrath makes one herself to talk to one of Father’s pawns.

After dismissing the guards, she addresses the prisoner through the door, “Kimblee.”

“Why, if it isn’t Miss Hawkeye. It’s not every day that I get a hero to visit me.”

Ignoring his quip, she said, “What did McDougal want with you?”

He chuckles, “Straight to it, huh? Well, he thought he could recruit me on his little crusade.”

“And what exactly is this crusade?”

“Oh, to destroy the military, you see,” he said with amusement.

Wrath narrows her eyes, “And he didn’t tell you how exactly he plans to do that?”

He laughs. The sound echoes throughout the hall. “Sorry to disappoint you, but no. He didn’t tell me anything about that.”

Turning around, Wrath goes to leave, “Oh no, you’ve done the quite the opposite, Kimblee. You’ve confirmed everything for me.”

As she crosses the doorway, Kimblee calls to her, “Now I wonder what’s going to happen next. I have a feeling it’s going to be good.”

* * *

A warning comes from Captain Hawkeye that McDougal is planning a city-wide transmutation circle. Mustang immediately orders the soldiers to erase any transmutation circles that were found and the streets to be closed. He doubles the search parties to look in every corner possible.

Edward stands with his brother as they watch soldiers inspect a body.

“This is awful,” Alphonse said in horror.

“Yeah, I can’t believe this guy is planning to do a city-wide transmutation.”

“Do you really think he’s capable of doing that, brother?”

“I’m not sure. An alchemic reaction of this scale can only be possible if…” Edward’s eyes widen with realization. He shares a look with Alphonse.

“If he has a Philosopher’s Stone,” his younger brother finishes.

“We’ve got to find him, Al. This could be our chance.”

That is when they hear an explosion coming from an alley. They run to find Major Armstrong facing off with the Freezer.

“That’s enough, McDougal! We know about the transmutation circles! Some of them have been erased!” Edward yelled.

The man’s eyes widen in panic, “No! You don’t even realize what you’ve done!”

He throws a canteen of water at Edward and causes it to explode. Alphonse grabs Edward and covers him from the steam.

“Thanks for the save, Al.”

“We have to go after him, brother!”

Major Armstrong runs to them, “Come, Elric brothers, follow me.”

They run after McDougal out of the alleyway and find him jumping into a canal. The Freezing Alchemist shouts frantically, “Can’t you all see I’m doing this for the good of this country?!”

He forms a humungous wall of ice from the canal. The mountain of ice starts to shift and move along the canal.

“What is he doing?” Edward says in awe. He looks at the direction that the ice is heading towards. He widens his eyes, “He’s heading towards Central Command! Major, you try to stop that ice. Al and I will go after him!”

“Understood!” Major Armstrong runs to stop the ice while the brothers launch themselves towards the top of the ice. McDougal turns in surprise. He frowns when he sees Edward, “You’ve become the dog of the military, but do you even know what the ones you serve are truly planning?”

“Who cares?! It’s not my problem!”

“Can’t you see?! I’m doing what needs to be done!”

“I said I don’t care! Now where is it?! Where’s the Philosopher’s Stone?!”

McDougal frowns, “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play games with me! Answer me!”

McDougal shakes his head, “No, you don’t get to ask questions here. You’re out of your league!”

Growling in frustration, Edward charges at him, throwing a punch at his stomach. McDougal grunts in surprise and falls to the floor. He slaps a hand on the ice, forming spikes. Alphonse then pulls Edward out of the way and breaks away the ice. Before McDougal can react, Alphonse throws a kick, pushing McDougal off the wall of ice. The brothers slide down to where McDougal had landed. They find him bleeding from his fall.

“Give it up. You have no water left,” Edward says.

McDougal chuckles, “You forget. I have seventy percent of my body.”

He forms ice from his blood and directs it at Edward, piercing his shoulder.

“Brother!” Alphonse runs to aid him and cuts the ice off.

“I’m trying to save this country!” McDougal shouts as he runs away.

“Ed, are you alright?” Alphonse asks. Edward stood up and pulled the ice from his shoulder.

“I’m fine, Al. Come on, we have to go after him.”

* * *

Isaac McDougal limps into an alleyway, leaning against the wall. He couldn’t believe it. His plans have failed. How the hell did the military figure it out?

He realizes that he’ll have to go back into hiding. He’ll have to find another way to destroy Central Command. While Fuhrer King Bradley may be dead, his military still remains and McDougal will not give up until it is destroyed.

He stops when he sees that a woman is standing at the end of the alley. The woman has blonde hair with bangs swept to the side. A scar runs down the left side of her face with an eyepatch covering the eye. Her other eye glares furiously at him as she clenches the hilt of her sword at her side. McDougal recognizes her from the newspapers. It is Riza Hawkeye, one of the country’s beloved ‘heroes’.

However, Hawkeye reminds him of someone else. Where had he seen someone like this before? Then, it hits him. The eyepatch. The sword. That fierce look.

McDougal begins to chuckle. His chuckles evolve into hysterical laughter. He forms a long shard of ice from his blood.

“This is perfect! It turns out I do get to kill you after all, King Bradley!”

Hawkeye narrows her eye as McDougal gives a deranged smile. He charges at her with the sharp piece of ice, laughing in excitement.

He never sees the sword coming.

As he falls to the ground, McDougal could only lament the country’s doom. Darkness envelops him as he bleeds out.

* * *

Wrath watches the Philosopher’s Stone float on the pool of blood. When she sees it disintegrate to dust, she sighs in disappointment. She wipes the blood off her blade before sheathing it. She hears a child’s voice.

“_What a shame. He used up the stone._”

Wrath hums in agreement, “Indeed, so what will you do now, Pride?”

“_I will report this to Father. And I want you to get a status report from Lust on Liore after you settle this mess.”_

“Understood.” Wrath feels his presence leave just as soldiers arrive on the scene.

“Captain, are you alright?”

She gives them a reassuring smile, “I’m fine. I managed to catch him trying to escape.”

“Oh good! Thank god this whole thing is over!”

Wrath watches them place a blanket on the body. She hears footsteps behind her and turns to see the Elric brothers.

They stop in surprise when they see her. “Captain Hawkeye, you’re here?”

She smiles, “Yes, Edward. I was making sure this area was secure when I stumbled upon him.”

“I see… did you find anything on him?”

“No, I’m afraid not. Why? Was he carrying something that could be dangerous?”

She sees that he is disappointed when he answers, “No, no, I don’t believe so.”

Noticing his wound, Wrath nods towards his shoulder, “You should get that checked out at the hospital. I can have someone take you there.”

* * *

The next day, Wrath visits Roy in his temporary office. He gives a smile, “It seems you win, Captain.”

She shakes her head good-naturedly, “It seems that we both win, Colonel. Your efforts in erasing the circles were noted by higher-ups.”

He sighs in fake sadness, “But you were the one to stop him.”

Wrath gives a soft laugh, “Either way, I get quite a story to tell Selim.”

Right then, Maes comes in, “Hiya, Roy! Oh, Riza’s here! Hey, Riza, I heard you were the one to stop McDougal!”

“Yes, you heard correct, but Roy helped with the transmutation circles. If it wasn’t for him, who knows what would have happened?”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Captain. You were the one who figured out his plan,” Roy says.

Wrath could only shrug in response. She gets up to leave, “Well, it’s about time I leave. I want to visit Edward at the hospital. Oh, and Maes? I don’t believe Roy has seen the new pictures of Elicia.”

She smiles in mischief when she sees Roy gives her a look of horror and betrayal. She leaves him to his doom when Maes pulls out the photos.

* * *

She makes sure to stop by the bakery to buy some treats. When she nears the hospital room, she hears screams and a man’s voice, which she recognizes as Major Armstrong’s. Entering the room, she finds a shirtless Armstrong flexing his muscles as the brothers try to lean away from him as much as possible.

“Major Armstrong, can’t you see that you’re scaring them?”

They all turn their heads to look at her. Armstrong gasps, “Oh my, I see my assistance is too much! Maybe you can inspire them in their recovery, Captain Hawkeye! Very well, I shall take my leave!”

She steps aside to let him leave, making sure to avoid his sparkles. Once the door closes, she smiles apologetically, “I hope he wasn’t too much for you boys.”

“Oh no, Captain. He just surprised us. What brings you here?” Alphonse says.

“I wanted to see how you boys are doing. And, I brought a gift.” She holds up the box of baked goods. Edward’s eyes light up.

“Wow, thank you, Captain Hawkeye!” Edward says.

“Oh, it’s no problem. The Colonel told me you had to miss a train because of the McDougal case. I hope it didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

“Don’t worry, it didn’t. We’re going to Liore as we planned once I recover.”

Liore? That was where Lust and Gluttony are, preparing the blood crest for Father.

“I see. Is this a mission from Colonel Mustang?”

“Yeah, but we heard about a priest that can perform miracles. We want to see if it’s because he has a Philosopher’s Stone.”

Wrath begins to wonder if the brothers’ presence will interfere with the plan. She tries to weigh out whether she should try to hold them back or let them go. According to Roy, they have a tendency to cause a ruckus. Maybe that is exactly what they need…

She gives an encouraging smile, “Then I hope this trip will be successful for you boys.”

Edward beams, “Thanks, Captain.”

Wrath looks at the clock, “I have duties to get back to. Good luck on your journey.”

As soon as she leaves the room, she immediately goes to find a phone booth.

* * *

“Hello?”

“It’s me, Lust.”

Her voice becomes more sensual, “Wrath, it’s been so long since I’ve heard your voice. How did the McDougal case go?”

“I put an end to him.”

Lust sighs, “I see, he’s dead. It’s a shame. I had high hopes for him. And the Philosopher’s Stone?”

“Gone.”

“Sounds like he overused it.” Wrath then hears a chomping sound in the background. “Gluttony, chew quietly, I’m on the phone,” Lust says.

“And how goes everything in Liore?” Wrath asks.

“Everything is going well. We’ll be ready. The blood crest will begin soon.”

“About that. I should warn you that the Elric brothers are coming to Liore.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“They heard about Cornello and his miracles. They think it could be because of the gift you gave him.”

“I see. And you didn’t stop them?”

“No, it would be suspicious if I let them know that I know anything about Liore. Besides, I believe that their presence will actually help.”

“Hmm, do explain.”

“From what I’ve learned about them, they have a knack for exposing frauds. I have no doubt that they’re smart enough to expose Cornello. Given how many dedicated followers our priest has, think of the chaos and bloodshed that will happen when he’s exposed.”

She can imagine the smile on Lust’s face. “I love the way you think, Wrath. And what if things get out of hand and our precious sacrifices are in danger?”

“Then I trust you to keep them safe.”

“What about the Cornello’s little gift?”

“I’m sure Cornello will overuse it. Once he’s exposed, I trust that you figure something out to make things worse than we planned.”

“Oh, I already have an idea. I’m going to need Envy. I’m sure they’ll enjoy this.”

“Very well. I’ll send Envy to you.”

“Good. Oh, and by the way, I should remind you about our little problem.”

Wrath frowns, “Ah, yes, the serial killer. I’ll deal with it. Well, I must go now. I have to report this.”

“Good bye, Wrath. I can’t wait to see you again. It has been too long.” Lust gives a longing sigh before hanging up.

After putting the phone back onto the hook, Wrath leaves the phone booth and starts to head back to the Bradley mansion. She has to let Pride know about the change in plans.


	3. Chapter 3

After hearing about Basque Grand’s murder, the newly promoted Wrath has the Fuhrer assign her to the case. She goes to meet Maes and Armstrong in Maes’s office.

“Lt. Colonel Hughes, Major Armstrong,” she greets, giving them a salute.

“Major Hawkeye, I wish I could congratulate you on your promotion under better circumstances,” Maes says grimly.

“It’s alright. This takes priority. The Fuhrer himself assigned me to help you with this case. What have you found so far?”

“Not much unfortunately. We just got a report from Second Lieutenant Ross that a man with a large scar on his forehead was sighted at Central Station. This could be our guy.”

Wrath frowns, “So it’s likely that he left Central.”

“Yeah, we’re trying to figure out where he could be going next.”

Wrath looks at the file on Basque Grand, remembering that he had quite the reputation as a State Alchemist. There are plenty others with reputations of their own.

…And Roy is one of the more famous among them.

She looks at Maes, “You’ve sent a warning to all State Alchemists about this, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Good, then I suggest we go to East City.”

“East City? Why?”

Wrath holds up Basque Grand’s file, “Basque Grand was well-known and the suspect targets state alchemists. Tell me a famous alchemist whose location is known to the public.”

Maes’s eyes widen and Armstrong becomes alarmed, both realizing her implication.

Five alchemists dead in Central. Ten dead nationwide. Father will not be pleased if this killer is not stopped soon. Wrath has a feeling that it will only get worse from here.

* * *

It does get worse. News comes that an alchemist named Shou Tucker made a chimera out of his daughter and her dog. Along with catching the killer, Wrath has to arrest the man in her trip to East City.

That is how Wrath finds herself at the Tucker house, staring down at the creature that was once Nina Tucker. The chimera’s head is down and Wrath can only imagine the suffering she went through. Then, Nina raises her head and looks at Wrath with pitiful eyes.

“Daddy… Want…Daddy…”

A rage overtakes Wrath and it takes all of her energy not to show it. The chimera brings back memories of Hawkeye’s childhood.

The lonely nights as her father locked himself in his study.

The looks that see past her because she resembles her mother so much.

The manic gleam in his eyes as he tattooed her back.

Wrath feels her fingers twitch for her handgun. She knows what future awaits Nina. She’ll be added to the collection of chimeras in the laboratories. She’ll live the rest of her life in a cage as a specimen. It is no place for one like her.

“Major?”

Shaken from her thoughts, she turns to see Roy, looking at her worriedly. She also sees Shou Tucker behind him, escorted by two MPs. Roy must have finished questioning the man in the other room. Tucker looks up and Wrath sends a glare. Frightened by the intensity of her look, he steps back, only for the MPs to stop him from going any further. Without breaking eye contact, Wrath puts her hand on the hilt of her blade.

Seeing this gesture, Roy says, “Come, Major, let’s go back to Headquarters.”

Giving Tucker one last glare, Wrath follows Roy out to the car. Sitting across from him, she looks out the window, watching the buildings they pass by. She feels troubled by the whole ordeal.

Why did she react this way? She’s a homunculus. She shouldn’t be so invested in something that is not related to Father’s plans. It must be Hawkeye’s memories making her soft. Wrath frowns, promising herself not to let Hawkeye affect her like this.

“Major? Are you alright?”

She sees that Roy is looking at her with concern.

“I’m fine, sir.”

“No, you’re not. Your hands are shaking.”

She looks down at her lap and sees that they are indeed. She grimaces and tries to steady them.

“I see, so they are.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I am.”

Roy gives her a doubtful look, “Riza—“

Wrath shoots him a warning look. He shuts his mouth close. He then sighs and looks out the window. They don’t speak for the rest of the ride back to Eastern Headquarters.

When they finally arrive, they find Edward and Alphonse sitting on that stairs leading to the entrance. Edward has his head in his hands. Wrath recalls that they were the ones to catch Tucker.

“You’re going to come across cases like this in the future, Fullmetal. You may even get your hands dirty, so don’t shut down like this,” Roy says.

When Edward doesn’t answer, Roy exhales and continues up the stairs. Wrath goes to follow him. After they enter the Roy’s office, they find no one there. That is when Roy finally breaks.

He slumps onto his chair and rubs his face. He shudders and looks at Wrath despairingly, “As humans, are we all doomed to mess with people’s lives?”

Wrath doesn’t know how to answer that. Instead, she stays silent. It’s a question she can’t answer. After all, she’s not human.

* * *

She feels a mixture of anger and relief as she watches Maes investigate the bodies underneath the blanket. Anger for letting the killer slip through their fingers once more. Relief for knowing that Shou is dead and the chimera’s suffering has ended.

Maes puts the blanket back in place and looks up at her, “You were right about coming to East City, Major Hawkeye.”

“You sound as though you were expecting this,” Roy says.

She, Maes, and Armstrong stay silent, their faces sporting grave expressions. Seeing his observation confirmed, Roy demands, “Tell me everything.”

Maes sighs heavily and stands up. He motions for Roy to follow them out of the room. They enter the hallway, where they meet with Roy’s adjutant Jean Havoc.

“Sorry I’m late. I ran into the Elric brothers as I was leaving. I had to keep them from coming here.”

Roy nods, “Good, they don’t need to see this.”

“Exactly, that’s what I told them.”

Maes and Roy sit down on the benches in the hallway. Maes rubs his eyes, having not gotten much sleep the night before. No doubt the case is taking a toll on him. Meanwhile, Roy leans against the wall with his arms crossed, patiently waiting for Maes’s explanation. Wrath, Armstrong, and Havoc choose to remain standing.

Finally, Maes begins, “There’s a serial killer on the loose and he’s targeting State Alchemists. He already killed ten nationwide.”

“Yes, I heard about him,” Roy says as he leans forward and clasps his hands.

“We don’t have much information on him other than the fact that he has a scar on his forehead. Since he’s unidentified, we’ve been referring to him as ‘Scar’.”

“Major Hawkeye believed that he was coming here. This is the main reason for our trip to East City,” Armstrong adds.

Roy looks at Wrath, who remains impassive. “I see, and it turns out you were right in your prediction. How did you figure that out?”

“Because five days ago, he killed Basque Grand,” Wrath answers.

Roy and Havoc startle in shock. “The Brigadier General?!” Roy exclaims.

“Yes, and Basque Grand was famous across the country and his post was known. Since Scar is targeting alchemists with state certifications, I figured he would go for ones that are just as notable as Basque Grand.” Then, Wrath looks at Roy with a steady gaze.

“Especially ones whose locations are public knowledge,” she finishes.

“And since he killed Basque Grand, you can see how dangerous Scar is. I ask you as a friend to increase your escort and lay low for a while,” Maes pleads.

“You and Tucker are the only ones known in this area, right?” Armstrong asks.

Roy’s eyes widen. He stands up in alarm, “We left Fullmetal unguarded.”

Everyone else in the hallway stiffen. As if on cue, an MP runs in, “Colonel Mustang, sir, we just got a report of a fight near Headquarters!”

“Who is involved?”

“The Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother were sighted, along with a man described to have a scar on his forehead.”

Roy becomes panicked, “Take us there right now.”

* * *

They get there in time to see Scar about to grab Edward’s head. They see that Edward’s automail is gone while a chuck of Alphonse’s armor is destroyed.

“That’s enough, Scar! I’m taking you into custody for the murder of ten State Alchemists!” Roy shouts. He is flanked by his team, all aiming their guns at Scar. Wrath stands behind him, resting her hand on her saber.

The man glares angrily, “Alchemists are the ones who deserve judgment for they pervert God, the creator of all things natural. As an agent of God, I pass down His punishment. Interfere and I will eliminate you as well.”

Roy smirks, “Is that so?”

He hands his gun to Wrath and starts towards Scar, readying his gloves. Wrath, realizing his intention, immediately grabs his collar and pulls him back. She throws him behind her, causing him to land on his back.

“Hey, what are you doing, Major Hawkeye?!”

She gives him a stern look, “It’s raining, Colonel Mustang. You’re useless in water.”

He closes his mouth and flushes in embarrassment.

“Major Hawkeye? Colonel Mustang? The Hawk’s Eye and the Flame Alchemist?” Scar says.

Wrath turns to the man to see his glare becoming even more hateful. He steps away from Edward and starts walking towards her, “You may not be a State Alchemist, but you are deserve the same judgment from God.”

His eyes then settle on Roy, “A shame you prevented the Flame Alchemist from volunteering his judgment.”

Then, Scar starts charging at her. Wrath narrows her eyes. She aims the gun at his chest and shoots. He dodges the bullet. At the same time, he is forced back, putting distance between them. Wrath drops the gun and grabs the hilt of her sword. In a blink of an eye, she is right in front of Scar with her blade halfway out of its sheathe.

She sees the man’s eyes widen behind his glasses, caught off guard. She brings her sword out, swinging it up to slash at his right shoulder. However, Scar’s reflexes turn out to be quicker than expected. He steps back just enough for Wrath to miss his subclavian artery by a few centimeters. He hisses in pain as blood spurts out of his shoulder. He uses his left hand to hold the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He stumbles backwards, looking at Wrath in shock.

Then, Wrath charges in for another attack, bringing her sword down. To her surprise, he grabs it with his right hand. Blue alchemic sparks surround the blade, causing it to break into pieces. He then aims his hand towards Wrath’s head, forcing her to quickly back away to avoid it. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem for her since she can regenerate. However, in the present situation, she didn’t want to have to explain herself to so many witnesses.

Before backing away, Wrath gives one final blow by hitting his face with the hilt, causing his glasses to fall off. She lands a few feet away from him. She holds up her broken blade and observes the damage. She remembers blue sparks before it broke. They came from his right hand. He was about to grab Edward with that same hand when they arrived. Everything clicks in her mind. So that was how he killed those alchemists…

“I see, you use the deconstruction aspect of alchemy to kill your victims. How hypocritical.”

He doesn’t respond. Instead, he looks up at her hatefully, revealing his red eyes.

She hears Armstrong gasp in shock, “Brown skin and red eyes. That means—“

“He’s an Ishvalan!” Roy exclaims.

Wrath only stares back at Scar dispassionately. The fight gave the other soldiers time to arrive and surround the area. Wrath glances to see that Edward is alive and safe.

“Give up, Scar. You’re wounded and there is nowhere to run,” Roy says.

They see him moving his eyes, analyzing the situation. He makes a decision and slams his hand on the ground, causing it to break apart. The collapse causes smoke, covering his escape. When it clears, all they find is a gaping hole, revealing the sewers.

“Damn, we lost him,” Havoc says.

That is when Maes finally decides to pop in, “Oh, is it over now?”

“Where were you this whole time?” Armstrong demands.

“I thought it was best to stay out of this.”

“You didn’t think to, you know, _help_ us?!” Roy shouts.

“Of course not! It’s bad for my health! What are you all standing here for?! Deploy troops! Circulate his description!”

“Yes, sir!” the surrounding soldiers shout.

“Alphonse!” Edward yells as he scrambles to his brother.

Wrath ignores the rest of the bustle around her, looking down at sewers. She frowns, disappointed that Scar got away once more. Father is not going to be pleased. She sighs and looks at her damaged blade. It looks like she is going to have send for outside help.

“Thank you, Major, for buying us some time to surround him,” Roy says as he comes to stand next to her.

She gives a small smile, “It’s not a problem, Colonel. I had to get him away from you and Edward.”

Wrath notices that the soldiers are whispering amongst themselves, stealing glances at her. She looks to see that Edward and Alphonse had finished their exchange with Havoc and Breda making sure they are okay. She sees that the four of them are staring at her in awe.

“It’s because we’ve never seen you fight,” Roy explains.

She looks to see that he too is looking at her in wonder.

“Are you still sure about not working for me? I could really use those skills to watch my back,” Roy jokes.

“I heard that!” Havoc shouts in mock outrage. Both Wrath and Roy pay him no mind.

Wrath raises her eyebrow. Roy gives a dramatic sigh, “Right, right, I know. You still got your ambitions.”

“Riza?”

They turn to see a woman with long dark hair pulled into a ponytail. She is nervous as she looks at Wrath with hopeful eyes. Wrath recognizes her. Rebecca Catalina, Hawkeye’s friend from the academy.

Great, the last thing Wrath needs is another piece of Hawkeye’s past. Still, she has a part to play, so she gives a polite smile, “Rebecca, it’s been a while.”

It proves to be the wrong thing to say as Rebecca’s eyes light up with indignation. She points at Wrath, “You call seven years a while?! You have a lot to explain, missy!”

“You two know each other?” Roy questions, confused at the exchange.

“Know each other? We were cadets together in the academy! But then Riza here didn’t bother to keep in touch after the war! And you didn’t even tell Mustang about me, Riza?! How could you?!”

Put on the spot, Wrath can’t really come up with an excuse. All she can do is look down. Perceiving this as shame, Rebecca huffs and walks away. Havoc throws Wrath an apologetic glance before following Rebecca.

There is an awkward silence before Roy clears his throat, “Well, this has been an eventful day. Why don’t we head back to Headquarters?”

Wrath never felt more relieved in her life.

* * *

The night sky settles when they arrive back at Eastern Headquarters. Wrath tells the others to go on ahead of her. After making sure they are out of earshot, she goes to find the nearest phone booth.

She dials the number Lust is using in Liore. After waiting a minute, Wrath hears her voice, “Hello?”

“Lust.”

“Wrath, hearing your voice has made my day even better.”

“I see things in Liore was successful.”

“Oh yes, the modifications to the plan worked wonders and it seems we’ll be ahead of schedule. You were right about the Elric brothers and your suggestion to the Fuhrer to send in Central soldiers has certainly helped.”

Finally, one thing that is going well.

“I hear Pride wasn’t pleased with your change in the plan,” Lust continues.

Wrath winces and rubs her neck, remembering how Pride had slammed her against the wall when she told him. He cut her throat as warning if the plan didn’t work. It’s a good thing it did work.

“Yes, he wasn’t particularly happy. At least he can’t complain about it now.”

“Hmm, and what about you? Did you deal with our mystery killer?”

“No, unfortunately, but I did get a good look at him. He’s an Ishvalan with a scar on his forehead.”

“I see. From what I hear, you met him?”

“Yes, and he escaped. He was actually able to keep up with me. Even managed to break my sword.”

“Well then, this is problematic.”

“Indeed, but I did manage to wound him. It should slow him down. I want you to come to East City to try to put an end to him.”

“Very well, but I have to make a stop on the way.”

“Oh?”

“I found Marcoh and I have to pick him up for Father.”

Wrath raises her eyebrows slightly, “Dr. Marcoh? It’s been a while since we’ve seen him.”

“Exactly, it’s about time for a reunion.”

“Fine, do whatever is necessary as long as you come to East City.”

“I will. I won’t pass up a chance to see you again, Wrath. I can’t wait.” With that, Lust hangs up.

After she exits the booth, Wrath heads back to Headquarters. To her surprise, she finds Rebecca waiting for her at the entrance.

Wringing her hands nervously, Rebecca looks at Wrath with guilty expression, “I’m sorry for causing a scene. It’s just that I haven’t heard or seen from you after all these years. Havoc and Mustang pointed out that you are really busy in Central with your job and family and all. I hadn’t considered that. I’m really sorry, Riza.”

Wrath takes a deep breath. She did not come to East City for this. Then again, she couldn’t blame Rebecca for her reaction. She honestly hadn’t considered Hawkeye’s best friend because she was insignificant in the grand scheme.

Forcing a smile, Wrath says, “It’s okay. I would’ve reacted the same way if someone did that to me.”

Rebecca slumps her shoulders in relief. She looks at Wrath uncertainly and makes an attempt at conversation, “You grew out your hair.”

Wrath touches her hair clip absentmindedly, “Yes, Mrs. Bradley suggested I do that. I didn’t see why not.”

“That’s such a simple reason.”

“Sometimes, a simple reason is all we need.”

There is an uncomfortable silence between them. After a few moments, Rebecca breaks it, “After you finish your meeting, do you want to go out for a drink and catch up?”

Wrath meets her gaze, considering her offer. She feels pity for Rebecca, knowing that she isn’t who the other hoped for. At the same time, Rebecca makes her feel uncomfortable. She doesn’t know what effect this woman will have on her considering her connection to Hawkeye. She should say no and keep her distance.

However, for some unknown reason, she replies, “I would like to.”

Why the hell didn’t she say no?

When Rebecca beams at her, she feels the odd mixture of irritation and fondness.

* * *

The next few days are spent searching for Scar. Armstrong left to escort the Elric brothers to Resembool so that they could fix Edward’s automail. Maes had to go back to Central so Wrath stayed behind make sure Scar is caught.

With no sign of Scar, the days go by uneventfully. While impatiently waiting for Lust to do her part, Wrath passes the time either helping Roy with the investigation or catching up with Rebecca. As with Maes and Roy, she finds that she does not mind Rebecca’s company. In fact, she is amused by the woman’s exuberance. At the same time, she is puzzled by how her host was even friends with such a lively person.

However, Rebecca is still an important person in Hawkeye’s memories. Wrath finds herself wanting to put as much distance from anything related to her human. She curses Lust for taking too long.

Relief comes when there are reports of an explosion in the sewers five days after the confrontation with Scar. At the scene, Wrath and Roy watch as Havoc inspects a blood-stained yellow jacket.

Havoc looks up, “Yep, this is definitely Scar’s.”

“Have you found the body?” Roy asks.

“Not yet, we’re still searching.”

“He can’t be in good shape though,” Wrath comments.

Roy rubs his chin, “True, but we still have to find proof that he’s dead. Havoc, take your men and clear out the debris. I want his body found.”

Havoc sighs tiredly, “Yes, sir.”

Wrath frowns and looks at the crowd gathering to see what is going on. She decides to walks towards it, hoping Lust is hiding there.

“Where are you going, Major?” Roy calls out.

“I’m going to see if there are any witnesses.”

“Fine, don’t take too long.”

“I won’t, Colonel.”

She disappears into the crowd and looks around for any familiar faces. When she doesn’t find any, she gently pushes herself out and goes to find an alley. It doesn’t take long to find one where there won’t be anyone listening in.

She stops in the middle of the alley and waits patiently. Sure enough, she hears a voice purr out, “Wrath.”

She turns to see Lust and Gluttony. Lust smiles seductively as she walks to Wrath, twining her arms around Wrath’s neck. Unaffected, Wrath glances at Gluttony, who has a sad, pitiful look on his face. Seeing this, she narrows her eyes.

“He escaped,” she deduces.

Lust sighs disappointedly, “Yes, I can see why he gave you a hard time. Even with the wound you gave him, he was still able to keep up.”

“I didn’t get to eat,” Gluttony whines.

“Yes, I know. There will be more snacks,” Lust coos. She turns her attention to Wrath, “But the explosion seems to have injured him even more, so he should be out of our way for a while.”

Wrath shoots her a glare, “He will be back when he heals.”

“True, but we do have more pressing issues on our hands.”

“What happened that is so important than this?”

“It seems our old friend Marcoh told the location of his research to the Elric brothers.”

Wrath gives Lust an alarmed look, “Was that why it took you a while to come here?”

“Yes, I had to come back to Central to burn down the First Branch library.”

“Good. Then what will you do next, Lust?”

“I’ll report all that has happened to Father. This should satisfy him.”

“Very well.” Wrath notes that she has been gone too long. She gently shrugs Lust’s arms off, “I have to go back. I’ll settle business here and then leave for Central. I’ll watch the brothers and make sure they don’t interfere in our affairs.”

“Fine by me.”

She leaves the two other homunculi in the alley and goes back to Roy. When she comes back, Roy asks, “Did you find anything?”

“No, sir, nothing useful to us,” she replies.

* * *

She waits two days before announcing that she must return to Central. She is surprised when Lt. General Grumman requests to speak to her the day before she is supposed to leave. When she arrives, she knocks the door to his office.

“Come in,” he says.

After she enters, she gives a salute, “Sir.”

“At ease, Major Hawkeye.” Grumman gives a welcoming smile as she lowers her arm.

“You wanted to speak with me, sir?”

“Why yes. I’ve heard much of your fame here in East City. I’ve been wanting to meet the Hawk’s Eye for a long time.”

“I see, sir. What would you like to know?”

“You are assigned under General Raven, yes?”

“Yes, sir, I am.”

“I see, I’ve had the pleasure of working with him before I was assigned here. How is it working for him?”

“He keeps me busy, but he is an efficient worker, so that helps.”

“That’s good to hear.” His eyes soften when they land on her eyepatch, “If I heard correctly, you lost your eye in the war.”

“I did, from an explosion.”

Grumman nods slowly. There is pause before he says, “Your father is Berthold Hawkeye, am I correct?”

What an odd question. Wrath wonders where he is going with this. “Yes, he is, sir.”

To her surprise, Grumman’s eyes become hopeful, “I understand you are confused, Major. You see, you look very much like my daughter. To my disapproval, she fell in love and eloped with an alchemist. I never heard of her since then other than a letter from her husband informing me of her death. What he didn’t tell me was that they had a daughter.”

Wrath freezes, realizing the implication. Not for the first time, she regrets coming to East City. First, the chimera. Then Scar. Rebecca. And now this.

She couldn’t stand to be here anymore. Grumman looks uncertain when she takes a step back.

“Major?”

“I must get ready to go back to Central, sir,” Wrath says abruptly. She turns around and slams the door open, startling Rebecca.

“Riza! What—“

Wrath ignores her as she continues out of the office. It takes much effort for her not to stop and punch at the wall. The unpredictability of this whole trip was making her angry.

When she leaves Headquarters, she heads back to her hotel. She decides to leave on earliest train to Central the next day. She needs to get away from East City as far as possible. There is too many connections to Hawkeye here.

She needs to get back to Central. She has a job to do for Father.

* * *

Grumman watches helplessly as his granddaughter storms out of his office. He slumps onto his chair, his head down. The talk had gone much worse than expected. Based on Mustang’s descriptions, he thought she would be more accepting.

“Lt. General?”

He looks up to see his aide Rebecca at the door, looking at him worriedly.

“Are you alright?”

Grumman forces a smile, “I’m fine, Second Lieutenant.”

He can see that she doesn’t believe him. “What happened, sir?”

“It’s not something I’d like to talk about.”

“Oh, I see.”

After a pause, he asks, “You and Hawkeye were cadets together in the academy, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“What was Hawkeye like back then?”

Rebecca looks taken back by this question, “Well, she was quiet and reserved. She came off to people as cold and rigid, but once you got to know her, she was a truly kind person.”

He nods, “And what about now? Does this still stand?”

“I can’t really say for sure since I haven’t talked to her in the past seven years, but I do know one thing.”

Grumman looks at her, “And that is?”

“Riza is never the kind of person to act on her anger. In fact, she’s not the type to get angry at all.”

Frowning, Grumman tries to reason, “It could be because of the war. It did have an effect on the soldiers.”

“That’s what I think too. But still, something just doesn’t feel right with her. It feels like she’s not completely there and I can’t place why.”

Grumman leans back in his chair, taking in what Rebecca had said. Mustang knew his granddaughter throughout the last seven years and had wonderful things to say about her. Now, with his aide’s input, he isn’t sure what to think.

“What do you think about all of this, sir?” Rebecca questions.

“I don’t know, Second Lieutenant. I don’t know.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Lt. Colonel Hughes, could you stop calling me to gush about your daughter? I’m at work!” For what must be the millionth time, Roy wonders why he puts up with Maes’s antics.

“Not just my daughter, Colonel! I’ll gush about my wife too!” Roy groans. He did not want to hear any of this.

Maes concedes, “Okay, okay, your turn. So, how goes the investigation with Scar?”

Roy sighs, “He hasn’t been sighted anywhere in the East, so people think it’s likely he’s dead.”

“Then I should be able to lift the bodyguards from the Elric brothers.”

“Yeah…” A pause. “Major Hawkeye hasn’t arrived at Central yet?”

“No, she’s due to arrive in a few days. And just in time for Elicia’s birthday!”

Before Maes can gush more about his daughter, Roy says, “She left without saying goodbye. Apparently, something happened between her and Lt. General Grumman.”

“Really? That’s unusual of her. Did you ever find out what went down?”

“No, Grumman didn’t want to talk about it. All I know from people is that Hawkeye stormed out of his office and looked like she was about to murder someone,” Roy explains with a frown.

“Hmm, well, when she gets back, I bet my precious Elicia will cheer her up!” Roy sighs, knowing that Maes is close to talking about his daughter again. To his surprise, Maes’ tone becomes more serious instead, “Roy, I should let you know that things here in Central are a mess. We have a shortage of State Alchemists here thanks to Scar.”

Liking where the conversation is going, Roy smirks, “Oh?”

“I’ve been hearing word about a promotion for the Flame Alchemist to Central.”

Smiling, Roy leans back in his chair, “Central? That’s just what I need.”

“Be careful, Roy. I’m serious, someone as young as yourself cannot climb the ladder without making enemies.”

“What about Hawkeye? She’s younger than me and they love her.”

“That’s because she knows how it works in Central,” Maes points out.

Remembering his childhood friend, Roy’s smile becomes softer, “At least I can finally make good on my promise.” It was one he made to himself when he learned that she had survived the explosion. He remembered the overwhelming relief seeing her beautiful face. It was then that he vowed to protect her. To make sure nothing like this would happen to her again. It was hard to keep this promise when she is in Central and he in the East.

“She can take care of herself, Roy. You saw for yourself how she handled Scar,” Maes reassures.

“I know, but it doesn’t hurt to watch over her.”

“True, true. Besides, you need her on your side. You need to get as many allies as you can and…”

There is a pause before he finishes, “…get yourself a wife!”

Annoyed, Roy slams the phone back onto the hook.

* * *

When Wrath comes back to Central, she comes back to one hell of a mess. Apparently, the Elric brothers got a little too curious and investigated the Fifth Laboratory, leading to a scuffle with the guards. After one of them came close revealing their plans, Envy and Lust had to step in and destroy the laboratory. On top of that, another guard has gone missing.

The fact that Wrath has to do damage control does nothing to lighten her already sour mood. Before she can even do that, she has to go to Elicia’s birthday party or else Maes would never let her hear the end of it. Still, she much prefers to go to the party than to have to deal with the situation.

She knocks the door, gift in hand. She hears footsteps before it opens, revealing Gracia.

“Riza! Come in, Elicia has been asking for you!”

Wrath smiles as she enters the apartment, “It’s been too long since I’ve seen her.”

“Aunt Riza!” The birthday girl runs down the hallway and jumps to hug Wrath’s legs.

Wrath bends down and hugs her, “Happy birthday, Elicia!”

“I’m three now!” she shouts excitedly.

“Yes, you are!”

Maes enters the hallway, “Riza, isn’t she adorable?!”

Letting go of Elicia to let her play with the other children, she humors him, “Yes, she is, Maes.”

When Elicia runs out of sight, he gives a concerned look, “You alright?”

She sighs. He must have heard about what happened in East City. “I’m fine. Let’s just get back to the party.”

She follows Maes into the living room, where she sees other parents and their children. He leads her to a young girl with long, blonde hair, “Riza, this is Winry Rockbell, Edward’s automail mechanic. She’s been staying with us for her trip.”

Rockbell? That name sounds familiar. Wrath shakes the girl’s hand, “Hello, Winry. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Riza Hawkeye.”

The girl smiles, “And it’s nice to meet you, Miss Hawkeye.”

Wrath spends much of the party conversing with Maes and Winry, learning that Winry had known the brothers since childhood. Considering that Edward and Alphonse are causing problems, she knows this information will be useful in the future. Maes notices the troubled look on Winry’s face.

“Winry, what’s wrong?”

“It’s just that I can tell something’s bothering them, but they keep their mouths shut. I wish they could just tell me.”

“Maybe nothing needed to be said. It’s possible that they thought you’d understand with no words said,” Maes reassures. Wrath stays silent, watching the exchange.

“Maybe…but there are some things that need to be said.”

Maes chuckles, “Well, men prefer to speak with their actions. They don’t want to worry anyone when they are in pain. But still, there will be times when they’ll ask for your help and I know you’ll be there.”

Winry looks contemplative. Right then, a group of boys come up to Elicia, who is sitting on Winry’s lap. “Elicia, come play with us!”

As Winry lets Elicia down, Wrath notices Maes’s expression darkening, his hand inching towards his gun. She gently grasps his wrist before he can reach it, “Maes, I think Gracia’s calling for you.”

“Oh, my beautiful wife needs my help? I’ll leave you two then.” He gets up from his chair and goes to his wife, leaving Winry and Wrath.

Winry smiles sadly, “You know… when Colonel Mustang came to recruit them, I was so worried that the military would take them away just as they did with my parents.”

That is when Wrath realizes, “Your parents are Doctors Yuri and Sarah Rockbell?”

“Yes, you knew them?”

“Not personally, but they were well-known in the military during the war.” Wrath remembers how much of a nuisance they were to the higher-ups.

“Oh, I see. Well, I now realize that it was Ed’s choice to join the military, to choose his own path. Now, I can only hope he and Al will stay safe,” Winry says softly.

“Like Maes said, when the time comes that they need help, you’ll be there,” Wrath reassures her. It sounds like something Hawkeye would say.

Winry brightens considerably. She then asks, “Miss Riza, why did you become a soldier?”

Wrath blinks, not expecting the question. She remembers Hawkeye’s original intention and her own ambition. They both come down to Roy.

She answers, “To protect.”

She doesn’t notice Maes watching with a secretive smile.

* * *

Two days later, Edward and Alphonse have a meeting with Hughes, Armstrong, and Hawkeye in Edward’s room in the hospital. They let Hawkeye know everything they had learned. How they found Marcoh’s research. What makes a Philosopher’s Stone. The transmutation circle at the Fifth Laboratory. The armored souls. The people with the Ouroboros tattoos. About how he is a sacrifice. Hawkeye looks increasingly alarmed throughout their talk.

Yeah, Edward couldn’t blame her.

“And the last thing I remembered was being kicked by this guy,” Edward finishes as he points at the drawing of the person with wispy hair.

“All our answers to our questions were in that laboratory,” Hughes says, frustrated. Edward groans. He didn’t want to be reminded. Hughes picks up the paper with the drawing of the Ouroboros.

“I’ll run a search for anyone with an Ouroboros tattoo.”

“And I’ll continue to look into Marcoh’s research team in Ishval,” Armstrong adds.

Hawkeye speaks out, “Unfortunately, they’ve gone missing days before the Fifth Laboratory collapsed.”

Everyone else in the room shout, “What?!”

There is a knock on the door before a man enters. He has gray hair and is wearing glasses. It is Fuhrer Gardner.

He smiles, “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

Edward and Alphonse freeze. Armstrong, Hughes, and Hawkeye immediately salute him.

“Fuhrer Gardner! May I ask what brings you here?” Hughes says.

“It’s alright, soldier. I heard that the famous Fullmetal Alchemist got injured and thought that I make sure he’s okay,” Gardner replies. He holds up a basket of food and hands it to Edward, “Here, I thought this might cheer you up.”

Unsure, Edward takes it, “Uh…thank you, sir.”

Gardner smiles before turning to Armstrong, “I heard you’ve been investigating the senior staff, Major Armstrong.”

Armstrong blinks in surprise, “Yes, sir. How did you know?”

“As the Fuhrer, I keep track of everything. I know there have been suspicious activity of the military lately. There must be something done about it.” He goes to pick up the papers and scans them, “I see, you’re looking for the research team that studied the Philosopher’s Stone.”

“Yes, sir. Hawkeye informed us that they went missing,” Hughes says.

“That is true,” Gardner confirms.

“It seems the enemy is several steps ahead of us,” Hawkeye points out.

“Yes, and I have no way to determine how far we have been infiltrated.” Gardner puts down the papers, “This is proving to be dangerous, so I give this direct order: keep this matter to yourselves at all costs. Be discreet and do not trust anyone.”

“Sir!” Hawkeye, Armstrong, and Hughes shout as they each give a salute.

Gardner gives a final smile before exiting the room. Once he’s gone, Edward blinks, wondering what just happened. While everyone else is still reeling, he notices Hawkeye staring at him, the expression in her eye is unreadable. Before he can think more about it, Winry walks in.

“Hey, Ed!” She stops when she notices the gobsmacked looks on everyone’s faces, with the exception of Hawkeye.

“Did something happen?” she asks.

“Nothing….nothing at all,” Edward says.

Winry blinks before shrugging, “Anyways, I got the tickets you asked for.”

“Oh? Where are you headed, Edward?” Armstrong asks.

“To Dublith. Al and I thought we should visit our teacher.”

Alphonse begins to quiver, “Brother, I’m too scared. Teacher is going to kill us.”

Remembering what their teacher is capable of, Edward starts to shake as well. He is not looking forward to this.

“Hm, it seems you have a long journey ahead,” Hughes says.

“Oh? Where is it?” Winry asks.

Alphonse points the city on the map, “Right here.”

Winry looks at the map. After a moment, she shouts excitedly, “Rush Valley is on the way! Ed, you have to take me there!”

“Whatever, I don’t have to take you anywhere,” Edward retorts.

“Well, someone has to take care of my travel fare!”

“Why does it have to be me?!”

“Brother, it’s not a problem. It’s on the way,” Alphonse says.

Edward sighs, “Fine, only if you want to, Al.”

Winry gives an excited shout. In the midst of the exchange, Edward never notices Hawkeye slipping out of the room.

* * *

When she leaves the hospital, Wrath heads towards the back of the building. When she arrives, she finds Fuhrer Gardner waiting for her.

He looks up, “Was it to your liking?”

She stares at him, thinking over the encounter. Wrath was the one to tell Gardner to come to the room at that specific time and to give the order to keep the matter silent. No one can refuse the Fuhrer’s orders. She knows that Armstrong and Hughes will undoubtedly obey. On the other hand, there is the Elric brothers. Wrath knows that they don’t listen to authority well. She’s going to have to keep an eye on them.

She can see Gardner become more nervous under her gaze. Despite her dislike of him, Wrath finds herself impressed. He was able to keep the act up the entire time. Even better than Envy would have. She finds it pathetic that Gardner turned out to be more reliable than Envy. At the same time, she isn’t surprised.

Wrath gives her answer, “It was adequate. You are dismissed.”

She sees him relax considerably. He gives her a bow before leaving. When he is out of sight, Wrath sighs and rests her back against the wall. This is proving to be messier than she realized. She could not believe that the brothers found out about the Stone even with the library burned down. While Envy and Lust’s intervention was necessary, they exposed themselves and now the brothers are looking for them. The cherry on top is that they now suspect the military.

All of this happening because a former worker just so happened to have photographic memory.

Wrath knows she has to think of something to divert their attention. The Elric brothers will continue to pry further. She is sure of it. Fortunately, she bought some time with the Fuhrer’s order and the brothers’ trip to Dublith.

She just wishes that there will be nothing else to complicate this situation further. She had enough of that from the trip to East City.

* * *

In the evening, Wrath returns to the Bradley mansion, where she has dinner with Pride and Mrs. Bradley.

“Wow! You met the Fullmetal Alchemist again?!” Pride exclaims, playing the part of Selim Bradley.

Wrath smiles and nods, “Yes, I did, Selim.”

“That’s so cool! I wanna meet him someday!”

“I’m sure you will, dear, but let Riza eat her dinner first. She just got back from a long trip,” Mrs. Bradley gently admonishes.

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Wrath says as she cuts into her steak. She is somewhat relieved to be able to relax for a while.

“So how was your trip?” Mrs. Bradley asks.

Wrath hums as she chews her food. After swallowing, she answers, “It was pretty hectic, but we did gain a lot of information so I’d say it was productive.”

“Oh, that is good to hear. Are they giving you a day off tomorrow?”

“No, I’m afraid I still have a lot of work to do.”

Mrs. Bradley sighs, “I just wish you could take a break every once in a while. You’re going to run yourself ragged.”

“I know. Unfortunately, work will only pile up if I just take one break,” Wrath says sadly.

A butler enters the dining room, “Miss Hawkeye, there is a call for you.”

Wrath sighs, hoping that it is nothing important. She stands up from her chair and goes to the phone just outside the room. She picks it up and answers, “Riza Hawkeye speaking.”

“Major Hawkeye.” It is Armstrong speaking with a grave voice.

She becomes more alert. Something must have happened. “Yes, what is it, Major Armstrong?”

“Lt. Colonel Hughes has been murdered.”

Wrath stays silent, processing the information. She just saw Maes this morning. How could this have happened? Did it have to do with the meeting? Her hand holding the phone starts trembling.

“Major Hawkeye?” Armstrong calls out, making sure she is still there.

She takes a deep breath before answering, “I’ll be there immediately.”

She hangs up and takes another breath, trying to steady her hands. After she is sure that they are still, she walks back to the dining room. Pride and Mrs. Bradley look up. Wrath gives a regretful smile, “That was the military. I’m afraid something has happened that can’t be ignored.”

“Oh my, then it must be very important,” Mrs. Bradley says. 

“Aww, but you didn’t even finish dinner, Sis!” Pride protests. She gives him a glance, hoping to convey that whatever happened may be related to them. Thankfully, he notices and gives an almost imperceptible nod.

Wrath reassures him, “Don’t worry, Selim. I’ll get something to eat on the way.”

“Stay safe,” Mrs. Bradley tells her before she leaves.

* * *

After getting statements from several witnesses, it’s not hard to figure out that Maes had found something about their plans. When she receives a panicked phone call from Roy, she realizes what Maes was trying to do before he was killed. She suspects that either Envy or Lust were involved. This is why she is goes underneath Central Command, heading towards their hideout. She is navigating around the cages of experiments when she hears Envy’s voice.

“You should’ve seen his face! It was the best thing I’ve seen in a while!” Wrath stops, listening as Envy gives a cruel laugh.

“And what did you do exactly? Because you still haven’t told me,” Lust says, sounding annoyed.

Envy snickers, “Well, I was disguised as one of his subordinates at first, but he didn’t fall for it. Since he was so smart, I decided to give him something better.”

There is a pause before they dramatically continues, “I turned into his wife! Dumb human dropped a picture of her for me to see! His face, oh, his face! You should’ve seen his face as his own wife shot him!”

Wrath snaps. Envy’s manic laugh turns into a scream as they find themselves skewered to the floor. Wrath pins them down with her foot as she pulls her sword out. While Envy is still healing from the wound, she proceeds to give another slash across the neck, eliciting another scream.

She readies for another attack when a claw suddenly breaks her sword apart. She stops and turns her head to Lust, who retracts her claw. She can see that Lust is uncharacteristically shocked at this display and is trying to calm down.

When she finally composes herself, Lust chides, “Wrath, that’s enough. Father will be angry if you kill Envy.”

After a moment, Wrath relents and lifts her foot off of Envy. She steps away from them as they glare at her, “What did you do that for?! The human came close to finding out about the circle!”

Wrath narrows her eyes angrily, “You really are an idiot.”

“What for?! Don’t tell me you cared for some human?!”

Envy shuts their mouth when Wrath threateningly points her broken blade towards them. The glare on Wrath’s face is one that could scorch them on the spot.

“He wasn’t just some human. May I remind you who his best friend is?”

They obviously don’t know so she answers for them, “Roy Mustang.”

Lust’s eyes harden, finally realizing the severity of the situation. Envy, on the other hand, still didn’t.

Wrath continues to explain, “There were other ways to keep Hughes in line. He had a wife and daughter that could have kept him silent. But now that he’s gone and Mustang now knows, I can guarantee you that the Flame Alchemist will come looking for answers. I can tell you that he will not stop until he finds his best friend’s murderer, regardless of anything that comes in his way.”

* * *

Maes’s funeral happens two days after his murder. Everyone attending remain silent as they lower his casket. When they start to bury him, Elicia starts to cry out for her father, too young to comprehend what is going on.

“No, stop putting dirt on Daddy! Stop it! Daddy!” she cries as Gracia holds her. There are tears running down Gracia’s face as she tries to calm her daughter.

Armstrong uses his hand to cover his tears.

Roy lowers his head further, trying to contain his grief.

Wrath feels her hands trembling.

She knows she cannot face Gracia and Elicia after this. Especially since she knows the circumstances behind Maes’s death and that he should have been spared. Not for the first time, she feels an overwhelming fury towards Envy. It makes her even angrier that she has to stay her hand. Still, Father’s plans take priority, even if it means continuing to work with her sibling.

When the funeral ends, she leaves as soon as she can. She knows Roy will be hurt, but it is all getting too much for her.

* * *

Roy felt a sting of betrayal when he saw that Riza had left without a word. Immediately after, he regretted it. He knows that she is just as grief-stricken as he is and decides to give her space. He spends the night at his aunt’s bar, nursing a glass of whisky. He mulls over the day’s events.

After the funeral, he did his own investigation. He learned that Maes was attacked before he made the phone call. The fact that he used an emergency code on an outside line means that whatever he found was very huge. His conversation with Armstrong gave the biggest clue of all.

The senior staff of the military may be involved, considering that someone of higher ranking ordered Armstrong to keep silent. Somehow, this conspiracy is related to the Philosopher’s Stone based on the mention of the Elric brothers. What frustrated Roy is that he could not figure out how they are all related. However, one thing that he knows for sure is that he will stir things up once he transfers to Central. He will find Maes’s killer.

_You need to get as many allies as you can…_

The first person that comes to mind is Riza. According to Maes, she is an expert on how it works in Central. It is a good start and Roy knows that he can trust her. He reminds himself to ask for her help once his transfer is complete.

Then, he begins to feel fear. Will she be targeted as well? Considering that the senior staff is suspected and she is an influential figure, it does not sound far off. No, he couldn’t let that happen, not after nearly losing her once.

He tightens his hold on the glass. He made a promise and he intends on keeping it.

* * *

The next few days, the other homunculi do not disturb Wrath, letting her seethe before getting her anger back in control. Pride is the first one to approach her when she takes a walk outside of the Bradley mansion at night.

“_Wrath_,” he calls to her. She stops. Even though he is hidden and his shadows are unseen, she can still feel his presence.

“Yes, Pride?”

“_Father has a task for you._” So soon after Maes’s murder? The timing is suspicious.

“Is this to distract me from all that is going on?”

“_In a way, but it doesn’t change the importance of this mission._”

“So it’s an urgent matter. Fine, what is it?”

“_There have been reports of a group of people causing trouble in the South. Their descriptions match closely to the chimeras that escaped the laboratories._”

“I see. Very well, I’ll have the Fuhrer sign an order for an inspection.”

“_Good, and see to that this task is done. Lust will take over the situation with Mustang while you’re gone._”

“Hmph, better her than Envy.”

She can tell that Pride agrees with her, but he would never admit that directly. Instead, he continues, “_Mustang will be transferred to Central so we can keep a closer eye on him._”

Wrath raises an eyebrow. Knowing Roy, she doesn’t see this ending well in any way. However, it would be pointless to keep him in the East. He wouldn’t let that stop him. While calming herself down, she spent the past few days wracking her brain on how to put an end to the mess. Maybe this trip to the South will help clear her head a bit.

She replies, “Fine, then I trust that Lust will at least distract him while I’m gone. Perhaps this trip will help me think of a solution.”

“_I hope for your sake that you do, Wrath. Mustang is still your responsibility and we cannot afford to lose another potential sacrifice. Remember, I’ll be watching from the shadows.”_

“I don’t doubt that,” Wrath murmurs as she feels his presence vanish.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn't satisfied with the original Chapter 5, specifically with Father's command to Wrath. Also, it just didn't feel complete. So I decided to change Father's command to Wrath and add in a little more content. I feel a little better with this one. I hope you all like this re-edit of Chapter 5. Thanks for reading!

After his meeting with the Fuhrer, Roy strolls down the hall, passing by groups of soldiers whispering to each other. No doubt they are talking about him. They are not even being subtle about it. In spite of this, Roy smirks to himself. He’s already causing quite the stir in Central.

His transfer had gone smoothly. He won a chess match against Grumman for the first time and got his entire team to come with him. However, even when Roy thought he gained the upper hand, Grumman always found a way to surprise him. He asked Roy to take 2nd Lt. Catalina with him.

While Roy has no problems with Catalina, he still couldn’t figure out why Grumman wanted her to come. When he asked, Grumman only said that it wouldn’t hurt to have another weapons expert. While he couldn’t refute it, Roy suspected that the true reason had to do with Riza, considering that she and Rebecca were friends along with her encounter with Grumman. He still didn’t know what happened between the two.

Now thinking of Riza, Roy’s smirk becomes a smile. He is on his way to her office, hoping to surprise her. He couldn’t wait to be able to see her more often. When he arrives, he asks the secretary, “Good morning, I’m Colonel Roy Mustang. Is Major Hawkeye available?”

She shakes her head, “I’m sorry, Colonel Mustang. She’s away at this moment.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s conducting an inspection for the Fuhrer in the South.”

Roy blinks his eyes in surprise, “She’s in the South?”

* * *

Resting her hands on the sword in front of her, Wrath stands at the entrance of a bar called Devil’s Nest. When she heard that the inspection was to take place in Dublith, she hoped that she wouldn’t run into the Elric brothers. Unfortunately, Wrath got reports of two people matching their descriptions entering the bar that is rumored to be the base of the chimeras. Knowing the brothers’ tendency for trouble, she shouldn’t be surprised.

Behind her is Armstrong and a squad of soldiers, armed and ready for combat. She herself is equipped with her specially made belt for carrying multiple swords and guns. She takes hold of the sword in front of her and unsheathes another. She looks back at the soldiers, “There is a State Alchemist in the bar. Secure him and others associated. As for the others, execute them. These are the Fuhrer’s direct orders.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Move in!”

* * *

Today is definitely not Greed’s day. Just when he thought he had the answer to immortality, everything just had to go downhill real fast. The kid and his teacher found a way around his Ultimate Shield and beat his ass. To make things even better, the military arrived. How troublesome. Now he and his possessions have to escape.

Down in the sewers, he sees the armored kid struggling to crawl across the floor. Martel must be giving him a hard time. Seeing him, she pops her head out of the armor, “Greed, what’s going on?”

“Ah Martel, glad to see that you’re safe. Anyways, things are getting out of hand so we have to figure out a way out of here.”

They hear a new voice, “Now hold it right there.”

As Martel pops back into the armored kid, Greed turns to see a woman standing several feet away from them. Greed takes a moment to appreciate the site before him. She looks vaguely familiar. He can tell from the blue pants that she is from the military. He sees a hint of her muscular and curvaceous build underneath the black, short-sleeved turtleneck. She is strapped with a belt holding multiple scabbards and holsters, making her look like a walking armory. To complete the look, she has a scar on the left side of her face with an eyepatch, making her appear even fiercer.

Greed lets out a whistle, “And who might you be?”

“Major Hawkeye! What are you doing here?” the armored kid shouts.

He can hear Martel from inside the armor say, “That’s the Hawk’s Eye?!”

The Hawk’s Eye? Ah, he thought he seen her before. He saw her on the newspapers. He gives a flirtatious smile, “So what’s a celebrity doing down here?”

She starts walking towards him, a sword in each hand. She says, “I’m here on orders. You and your gang are causing quite the ruckus.”

Great, just what he needed and he isn’t in the mood to fight. Plus, one of his personal rules is to not hurt women, so he tries to compromise, “Look, let us go and you’ll never hear from us again.”

Hawkeye doesn’t reply and continues towards him. Greed sighs. It looks like it’s heading towards a fight. He tries to give a warning by activating his Ultimate Shield on his right hand, “I’m warn—“

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence when his hand disappears and lands in the water. The armored kid gasps as Greed looks down at his severed arm. He didn’t even see her sword coming. He glares at Hawkeye, “So that’s how you want it, huh?”

She narrows her eye and charges at him. To his shock, she attacks him with a flurry of slashes with her swords and his other hand goes missing as well. He finds that he cannot keep up. In fast succession, he gets cuts all over his upper body. With her inhuman speed, she never gives him a chance to regenerate with the relentless attacks. He can’t even activate his Shield. Finally, with surprising strength, Hawkeye kicks him into the wall on the other side. He crashes through it and into another tunnel in the sewers.

As he starts to get up, she climbs through the hole and lands besides him, “Good, we should get some privacy here.”

He looks back at her with a glare. She responds with a kick to the stomach. He gasps as he flies several feet away and hits the ground, only for her to catch up to him to give another kick. After gliding another distance away, he lands face down. This time, she walks towards him at a more leisurely pace. As he picks himself up, he focuses regeneration into the wounds. After feeling them close back together and growing back his hands, he activates his Shield onto his hands. While he didn’t like to hurt women, he had to get a swipe at her to get away. When Hawkeye comes close enough, he jumps and yells as he slashes her across the face. Her eyepatch falls off as a result.

In a split second, he feels a bit of triumph. However, it is very quickly replaced by shock when she turns her head towards him with an unimpressed look. Surrounding her face are familiar red alchemic sparks as her scratches heal. On her left eye is the Ouroboros tattoo.

Greed tries to get words out, “You’re—“

Hawkeye interrupts by cutting his hands off again. She then shoves both swords into his neck, pinning him to the wall behind him. Still in shock, he tries to speak, only for him to spit out blood.

“Speechless? I would be too,” she says humorlessly. She yanks the swords out. The force of the pull causes him to fall to the ground. He turns his head shakenly to see her glaring down at him, her Ouroboros gleaming.

“Well then, Greed, I think Father would like to see you. From what I’ve heard, it’s been too long.”

* * *

“Now you stay here, I’ll be back for you,” Wrath says as Greed is left a bloody mess with four swords in his chest. She hopes he’ll be knocked out for a while. It’ll make the delivery easier. After putting her eyepatch back on, she heads back towards the hole Greed made.

While navigating through the maze in the bar, she came upon Edward and his teacher. After they directed where Alphonse had been taken, Edward warned her about Greed and that he is a homunculus. The fact that their existence is now exposed was enough to anger Wrath once more so she let it all out on Greed. She knows this will lead to even more problems. However, she couldn’t think about that now. She still has a job to do.

She climbs through the hole and enters the other tunnel. She walks to where she had left Alphonse. Wrath finds him sitting down and he appears to be talking to himself. However, she knows otherwise. She saw the chimera popping back into his armor when she caught up to Greed. When he sees her, Alphonse straightens up, “Major Hawkeye! It’s just you?”

“Yes, just me.”

“What happened to Greed?”

“He’s no longer our problem.”

She hears the chimera shout, “No, Greed!”

Alphonse’s helmet starts to lift up, only for him to hold it back down. He isn’t even doing a very good job hiding the chimera.

“Great, I kind of wished we died back there,” an unfamiliar voice says. Wrath and Alphonse look up to see two more chimeras. Both are considerably injured.

“There’s still a chance to run,” the larger one pipes in.

“I’d love to, but I still got my canine sense of loyalty,” the one armed with the sword replies. He cuts away the chains holding Alphonse, “Do us a favor, kid. Get her out of here.”

“Protect her,” the other one says.

Seeing another fight on her hands, Wrath decides to end it quickly. She didn’t want to be too brutal in front of Alphonse. She sheathes one of her swords behind her and takes out a gun from a shoulder holster. The two chimeras charge at her as the one inside Alphonse’s armor screams. The smaller one swings his sword at her. She easily dodges and aims her gun at his chest.

“Dolcetto, no!”

The other comes up at her left, throwing his fist at her head. Wrath quickly turns her gun at him.

“Roa!”

She leaves the bodies in the water as she steps back up onto the pavement. Alphonse is still trying to hold his helmet in. She walks towards him, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

Frightened, he tries to crawl away from her, “O-oh, no, it’s alright, Major.”

He tries to stammer out more words. Wrath silences him with a no-nonsense tone, “Alphonse, stop. I know you’re hiding someone in there. Don’t make this harder for me.”

Seeing that he can no longer pretend, he tries to plead, “Major, please don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry, but I have my orders.”

Suddenly, his arm shoots up at her, attempting to grab her. It misses when Wrath steps back.

The chimera inside the armor screams in rage, “Die, Hawkeye!”

“Martel, don’t!” Alphonse yells.

Wrath sighs. She hoped things wouldn’t become more complicated. She kicks the helmet off and addresses the chimera inside the armor, “If you’re going to try to kill me, do it with your own hands, not his.”

The chimera takes the bait as she slithers out and lunges at Wrath. She leaves herself completely open up close, allowing Wrath to shoot her point blank. However, in the moment that Wrath pulls the trigger, Alphonse grabs the chimera’s ankle in an attempt to pull her back in. With her view blocked by the chimera, she doesn’t see some of the resulting blood splatter landing into his armor. To her surprise, Alphonse drops forward, motionless. His hand is still clenched around the chimera’s ankle. Wondering what had just happened, Wrath is unsure of what to do.

To make matters worse, she hears Edward yell, “Al!”

“Shit,” she mutters to herself.

Edwards runs past her and bends down besides his brother. He tries shaking his brother awake. When there is no response, Edward looks at her angrily, “What the hell did you do?!”

“I don’t know what happened. He just fell down all of the sudden.”

He looks at the body in front of Alphonse, horrified at the site. Wrath can see him try to think of what might have occurred. Then, his eyes widen, “We have to open him up!”

Wrath nods and turns to Armstrong and the few soldiers who followed Edward, “Take Alphonse back up and make sure he’s okay.”

“Sir!”

Armstrong rushes in and gently pries Alphonse’s fingers open from around the chimera’s ankle. He then picks the armored body effortlessly and runs back to the bar. Edward follows close behind. Wrath takes one soldier aside as the others leave, “You, stay here.”

“Yes, sir!”

“I want you to retrieve some chains. Do not tell anybody about this. That is an order. Am I clear?”

Without a question, the soldier salutes her, “Understood!”

* * *

Fortunately, Greed was still where Wrath had left him, still unconscious. This made tying him up in the chains easier. Before she left with Armstrong to escort the brothers and their teacher, she ordered the soldiers to pick Greed up and put him in a cargo box for transport. She made sure Armstrong and the boys were out of earshot when she gave the order.

She is relieved to hear that Alphonse is alright. She did not want to think about what would happen if they lost a sacrifice. When she and Armstrong arrive at Izumi Curtis’s home, she makes sure Izumi rests in bed and takes the chance to get to know the brothers’ teacher. Despite the woman’s friendly demeanor, Wrath can tell that Izumi is suspicious of her. Not letting that bother her, she takes note of the woman’s condition.

She noticed the woman spitting out blood on the way to her home. When she asks about it, Izumi only answers that it was a long-term illness. Considering that the woman is an alchemist, Wrath suspects there is more to it. She is going to have to look into the matter. After excusing herself, she gets up from her chair besides Izumi’s bed. She leaves the shop through the front door when she hears Armstrong’s voice from the side of the building.

“Listen, Edward Elric. Do _not_ do anything rash.”

She can tell that Edward is confused when he replies, “Uh…sure.”

“Well then, good night.”

Armstrong appears and notices Wrath waiting. Together, they head back to the train station. She asks, “Did you tell them about Hughes?”

“I didn’t. They don’t need to know about this just yet.”

“I see…” There is a pause before she says, “What did you talk about with Edward?”

“Well, before I warned him to be careful, he pointed out that Greed had an Ouroboros tattoo…” He stops, coming upon a realization. Wrath stops as well and looks at him, knowing what he is thinking.

“This Greed must be connected to the people at the Fifth Laboratory,” Armstrong says.

“Yes, so it seems…”

She has no doubt that the brothers had made the same connection. They’ll know to identify the homunculi with the Ouroboros tattoos. Another problem on their hands. She doesn’t hear what Armstrong says next.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said, then why did the Fuhrer order us to execute them? If he believes the military has been infiltrated, then wouldn’t it be best to take them into custody for information?” Armstrong questions.

Damn, she hadn’t considered that. Then again, she hadn’t counted on the brothers running into Greed. If that didn’t happen, then they wouldn’t be asking more questions.

She answers, “It is suspicious. Do the brothers know that he ordered the inspection?”

“Yes, I told them. They weren’t particularly happy with you, so I reminded them that you were just doing what the Fuhrer ordered.”

“Hm…” So the brothers will suspect Gardner now. Still, better him than her. At least Gardner’s order will provide a bit of a cover. However, she is still troubled by the turn of events. She will have to consult with Father about this. She decides to make a reminder to Armstrong, “Major?”

“Yes, Hawkeye?”

“Remember what the Fuhrer ordered us to do back in the hospital. Keep silent about this.”

* * *

Delivering Greed to Father was thankfully easy. After chaining him to a rock and suspending him in the air, Wrath and Father wait for the others to arrive. Wrath stands with her eyes closed, resting her hands on the sword in front of her. Father sits on his throne reading a book.

“Other than retrieving Greed, how was the trip?” Father asks.

“It was a success. The chimeras have been eliminated and I may have found another sacrifice.”

“Is that so? Who is this?”

“Izumi Curtis, the Elric brothers’ teacher. I noticed that she had a condition and believe that it may have to do with human transmutation. I’m planning on having people investigate her to confirm.”

“Very good, my child. However, I sense uncertainty from you.”

Wrath hesitates before answering, “Greed revealed our existence as homunculi to the Elric brothers. He showed off his tattoo to them. Knowing them, I have no doubt that they will inform Mustang.”

She can tell that Father is displeased with the news. He doesn’t show it when he asks, “I see. Is there a way to salvage this?”

She tightens her hold on the sword, “That is what I am trying to figure out, Father. After Hughes, Mustang will look for answers. The brothers will ask more questions. No matter what route we take, I only see this ending the same way each time.”

“And what outcome do you see?”

“We reveal ourselves to them and find a way to keep them in line.”

“Hm.” Father takes a moment to contemplate before saying, “Do they know the full extent of the plans?”

“No, despite their suspicions, I do not believe they are even close to finding out.”

“Good, then perhaps we should make ourselves known to them.”

Wrath opens her eyes and looks at him, “Father?”

“Not now, of course. While killing them would certainly help, they are still important resources. Still, it is preferable to keep the plans hidden, so give them warnings. If they continue to push further as you say, put them in their place. Gauge how much they know so far. Then, decide where to go from there. I trust you’ll think of something, Wrath.”

“Yes, Father.”

* * *

When Lust, Envy, and Gluttony finally arrive, Lust gives her usual seductive smile, “Welcome back, Major. How was your trip to the South?”

Wrath replies, “It was quite productive. I found another potential sacrifice and made a special catch.”

Lust looks up at the still unconscious Greed, “Talk about a blast from the past. Rise and shine, Greed, you can’t sleep all day.”

He finally wakes. In spite of the predicament he is in, he speaks in a snide tone, “Well, would you look at that? What a reunion we’re having.”

After that, Wrath idly listens as Greed throws derogatory comments at Lust, Envy, and Gluttony. Finally, he turns his attention to her, “So who’s the new girl?”

“I am Wrath the Furious.”

“Wrath, huh? That was something. What you did back in Dublith. So I’ve been meaning to ask. What happened to all my possessions?”

She replies bluntly, “Dead. I had them all killed.”

This enrages Greed, “Those were my possessions, Wrath! Killing them is the same as stealing from me! How dare you! Damn you!”

“That’s enough!” Father’s voice booms out. The homunculi stiffen and look towards him. He closes the book in his hands.

Father’s voice becomes deadly calm, “Greed, you are my son and of my soul. Why would you betray me?”

“Well, hey there, Pops. You see, I’m the epitome of Greed. It’s only natural that I want more things in life. I’d rather pursue those than work for you.”

“And if I were to ask you to work for me again?”

Greed scoffs before giving his answer, “Never!”

“…Very well.”

The floor opens up behind Wrath, revealing the vat of lava prepared for Greed. While Wrath remains unbothered, the others watch grimly. Greed’s screams echo throughout the room as he is melted down.

* * *

She returns to the Bradley mansion that night. She decides to take a walk before coming inside and thinks of the trip’s events. She had hoped that the trip would help her think of a solution only for it to present more complications. Father’s advice had left her apprehensive. She knows that warnings will not be enough to deter the brothers and Roy.

However, it is now the only option since she cannot deny Father. At least they will buy more time to hide the more important details of the plans. Plus, it will delay the inevitable.

Revealing her identity to Roy…

No, she couldn’t think of that. She won’t allow herself to.

“Riza! Sis, you’re back!”

Wrath is thankful for the distraction. She puts on a smile and turns to see Pride running towards her with Mrs. Bradley following close.

“And it’s good to be back, Selim.”

What a lie that is. She dreads what will come next.

* * *

Riza returns to work a few days after the trip to the South. Coincidentally, it is on the same day that Edward and Alphonse come back. After his council meeting, Roy goes to her office. The secretary lets him know that she is there this time. He knocks on the door.

“Come in.”

When she sees him enter, she snaps the folder in her hands close. She stands up and gives a salute, “I see your transfer had gone smoothly, Colonel.”

So she knew about his transfer. Nevertheless, he smiles, “I hoped to surprise you a few days ago, but you were gone for your inspection. Armstrong told me you both ran into the brothers in Dublith.”

To his surprise, she gives a grimace, “Yes, and I don’t think they will want to see me after that.”

“Why? What happened?”

She shrugs, “I was simply following orders from the Fuhrer. Unfortunately, it involved exterminating a gang that caused a lot of trouble. The brothers got in the middle of it.”

“Oh.” Roy understands how she feels. It is never easy following orders like this, especially ones in which they have to kill. He knows better than anyone else about this.

“Yeah… I heard the brothers came back today. Armstrong didn’t tell them about Hughes back in Dublith. Did they find out yet?”

Roy becomes somber, “No, when they asked, I told them he retired out to the country.”

“You’re treating them like children.”

“They don’t need to know yet. They need fewer obstacles in their way.”

“Edward and Alphonse will find out, Colonel.”

He sits down in a chair in front of her desk, “You know, I gave Armstrong a hard time for being soft. Now here I am.”

“There’s nothing soft about that.”

He looks at her in surprise. She gives a stern look, “It’s cruel.”

She sits down in her chair. There is a tense silence between them. After a few minutes, he breaks it, “The Fifth Laboratory. The Philosopher’s Stone. Hughes found out something related to them before he was killed.”

Riza looks at him, her expression unreadable, “Did Armstrong tell you?”

“No, I know you both were ordered by someone ranked higher to keep silent.”

“Then how did you find out?”

Roy thinks that he heard a tremor in her voice, as if she is trying to hold something back. It unsettles him and he feels the air around him grow cold. One reason for his visit was to tell her about how Catalina had run into Barry the Chopper while Riza was on her trip. All the information that the serial killer had provided.

He tries to decipher her tone, thinking over what it could imply. There is only one possible conclusion that he can think of. She knows something. Was the order to keep quiet also a threat? Roy begins to feel fear at the possibility that she is already being targeted. No, he couldn’t tell her about Barry directly. It could put her in danger.

He answers, “I had some outside help.”

Riza doesn’t react, continuing to stare at him. It takes a lot for him not to squirm under her gaze. After what feels like hours, she finally says, “I see.”

She looks at the clock and gets up, “I have a meeting to get to. I’ll walk you to the door.”

When they leave together, they leave in the opposite directions. He starts to head back to his office when she calls to him, “Colonel.”

He turns his head. He sees what seems to be a mournful look in her eye. She says, “Be careful. I have a feeling that there will be more to come.”

* * *

“So he found out about the Fifth Laboratory and the Philosopher’s Stone,” Lust says, irritated.

“Yes, and you know that he was going to find out eventually, Lust,” Wrath points out.

“I know, but how did he learn about it?”

“All he said was that he got some outside help and I highly doubt it’s the brothers.” Especially since they had just learned about Hughes’s death based on reports that they were seen running out of Central Command in a panic. They would be too distraught to tell Roy. Besides, Wrath already has her suspicions on who this help might be, but she didn’t have much to confirm it.

Lust gives a frustrated sigh, “Why can’t he just be a good boy and behave?”

“What about your new boyfriend? Did he tell you anything?” Envy pipes in.

“No. He’s either a born idiot or clueless hustler. And now I have to keep seeing him to find out about this assistant of theirs.”

“Who is he?” Wrath asks.

“Jean Havoc.”

“You won’t get anything from him. If there’s one thing about him, it’s his loyalty to Mustang.”

Lust becomes even more irritated, “Still, he’s possibly our only source of information since Mustang seems unwilling to tell you.”

“Why can’t we just kill Mustang? Half of our problems will be gone,” Envy complains.

“No, Father still wants him alive. Besides, he already told me what to do with this issue,” Wrath says.

They both look at her. She continues, “He wants us to give them some warnings. If they continue to ignore them, then we will have to take a more direct approach. We may even have to reveal ourselves to them if they push far enough. These warnings will also be distractions since he still wants us to keep as much hidden as possible.”

“Will they heed these warnings?” Lust asks.

Wrath shrugs, “Who knows? It’s up to them and we have to be prepared. Any suggestions?”

Neither Lust nor Envy reply. There is a silence as they all think of what to do. Then, they hear a growl from one of the cages. They see Gluttony teasing one of the experiments with a bone. This seems to give Envy an idea as they gleefully smile, “So we need to both warn and distract them, huh?”

“Oh? What do you have in mind?” Lust questions.

“Let’s give Mustang a bone to chew. The night I killed Hughes, I took the form of Maria Ross before I transformed into his wife.” Wrath clenches her hands at Envy’s flippant recount of Mae’s murder. Oh how she wants to cut them down right now.

Envy carries on, “Well, let’s have Ross convicted for Hughes’s death. We’ll show these annoying humans what we can do.”

Lust starts to smile while Wrath remains impassive. Wrath knows that Roy will question it and do something about it. Still, this is a warning and it is what Father ordered for.

She replies, “Fine, make the arrangements.”


	6. Chapter 6

The conviction of Maria Ross was a little too showy for Wrath’s tastes, but the whole purpose of it was to show Roy and the brothers just a hint of what they can do. She holds onto the small hope that Roy will listen. That he will back off.

This hope was dashed when she learned about Roy burning the woman to a crisp after a jail breakout. When she first heard about it, she was spending time with Mrs. Bradley and Pride. She knows something is off and that she has to find more about what had happened. She excuses herself by saying work is calling her away.

She hurries over to the hospital for the autopsy report. There, she finds Roy, Armstrong, and the brothers waiting for the mortician to come out. Roy is sitting on the bench, looking as if he does not want to be here. Wrath thinks this is rather odd.

Edward greets her with a glare. No doubt he still hasn’t forgiven her for the incident in Dublith, but the glare is not as intense as the one he gives Roy. From what she heard, he and Alphonse had found Roy right after he burned Ross.

Dr. Knox comes out with the report, “Her body was almost completely destroyed. However, judging from what’s left of her dental work, I can conclude that this is indeed Maria Ross.”

Two MPs copy this down as Knox scowls, “What a terrible thing you did, turning such a young woman into charcoal. Is the vengeance as sweet as you imagined it, Colonel?”

Everyone present turn to look at Roy. He only responds by turning his head away, “Hmph.”

Knox scoffs as he walks away, “The famous Hero of Ishval going this far. It makes me sick.”

The MPs look at each other uncertainly as Roy gets up to leave. Armstrong calls to him, “Colonel, please let me apologize for my subordinate. I never thought that Ross would commit such a crime. She was so earnest and compassionate.”

Armstrong has a look of shock and grief. He collapses down onto a bench, pinching the bridge of his nose. Roy watches with a blank face. He turns away and answers, “You look tired, Major. Maybe you should take leave. It’s a nice place back East with no city noise and lots of beautiful women.”

Then, he walks off. Edward’s glare becomes even angrier while Armstrong starts to look contemplative. Wrath immediately knows what Roy is getting at. She now knows that he had something to do with the breakout and somehow faked Ross’s death. Still, she wants to learn more about it and goes to follow him.

As she does so, she can hear Edward kicking the trash can in frustration.

* * *

It doesn’t surprise Roy that Riza is behind him. When he goes outside the hospital, he stops at the door, waiting for her to catch up. She stops besides him. He looks to see her motioning him to follow. Roy nods and trails after her.

She takes them to the back of the building. Roy can see that it is a private spot and no one is likely to overhear them. Riza leans against the wall and he takes a spot next to her.

“That was quite the show you put on,” she comments. So she knew he was acting. It doesn’t faze him since she knows him better than anyone else.

He shrugs, “I couldn’t exactly have people thinking I was sympathetic towards Ross.”

“Hm, I’m surprised Edward didn’t get your message to Armstrong.”

“It’s as you said. I put on a convincing show.”

“And the breakout… was it this outside help?”

Roy wants to deny it. He didn’t want to drag her into this even more, but lying to her is the last thing he wants to do. He decides to be truthful, “Yes.”

Riza does not reply. When he sees that she does not have anything to say, he voices out his concern, “You know, this whole conviction didn’t seem right.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was too public and they seemed to rush into declaring Ross guilty. If they wanted to frame someone for a crime, then at least make it look realistic.”

“But what if that was exactly the point?”

Roy blinks in surprise. He turns his head to look at her, but he can’t see her expression in the dark. Where is she going with this?

“How so?”

“You weren’t exactly as discreet as you thought, Colonel. Everyone in Central knows about you and Hughes. Not to mention, you’ve caused a stir with your transfer. Did it ever occur to you that Ross’s conviction may be a warning?”

No, it didn’t, but now that he thinks about it. It does make sense. He hadn’t been afraid to announce his presence in Central Command. It must have unsettled whoever is involved in this conspiracy, so they must have purposefully arrested Ross as a show of power. To display what they can do. They wanted him to back off. He smirks to himself, satisfied that he didn’t give them what they wanted.

“No, I honestly didn’t think of that, but I’m not going to let that stop me.”

After a long silence, Riza murmurs, “I see.”

Roy is puzzled at the tone of her voice. She sounded… disappointed.

* * *

“So Mustang killed the fugitive, avenging his best friend. I’d say this is perfect for us,” Envy says, pleased with themselves.

Wrath says, “Are you really so sure?”

She makes herself known to Envy and Lust by stepping into the light. She stares Envy down, showing her displeasure. Envy waves their hand dismissively, “Mustang shouldn’t have a reason to snoop around anymore. Besides, his subordinates won’t trust him after this.”

Wrath narrows her eyes, “Do I need to remind you that we did this to warn him?”

“I take it that he didn’t heed it,” Lust says.

“No, it didn’t even cross his mind that it was. I had to give a little help on that. Even so, he said that it’s not going to stop him.”

Lust gives an irritated sigh, “So what do we do next?”

Wrath already has something in mind, “Envy, I need you to find out who was responsible for the breakout.”

“What for?”

“Mustang provided some useful information. He said that his assistant was the one behind it. I already have an idea on who this might be, but I need confirmation first.”

Lust starts to look alarmed, “Assistant? You mean…?”

“That Mustang orchestrated this whole thing? Yes, and he faked Ross’s death as well.”

Angry at being proven wrong, Envy glares at Wrath, who only raises a brow. She places a hand on the hilt of her sword. She taps a finger on it, “Well? Are you going to do it?”

Envy, understanding the gesture, begrudgingly agrees.

* * *

The next day, Lust and Wrath wait for Envy to return. Earlier, Wrath had learned that Armstrong had indeed taken leave. Based on Roy’s message, he should be going to the East, where Ross is supposedly hidden. At least Armstrong will be out of the way for a while.

Envy arrives in the disguise of a MP. They transform back before saying, “I got a sketch of the guy behind the breakout.”

Wrath looks at the paper before showing it to Lust, “Is this the guard that went missing from the Fifth Laboratory?”

“My, my, it is. Barry the Chopper. Was he the one you suspected?”

“Yes. Envy, do you know where he went?”

They grimace, “No, he ran off pretty quickly and he’s good at hiding.”

Despite the answer, Lust smiles, “But we do have a way to track him down.”

She turns towards a cage. Inside is a human gripping the bars as it snarls like a beast. Wrath can see what Lust is planning, “So this is Barry the Chopper’s original body?”

“It is. It’ll lead us straight to him.”

“Good. I’ll handle things from here. I’m going to give Mustang another warning.”

* * *

Phase Two of the boss’s plan is going well in Havoc’s opinion. As expected, someone did come. After a scuffle in the apartment, he leads Barry and Falman outside, where they’ll be safer.

The man crashes out of the window and lands right in front of them. Havoc shoots at him, but the deranged man skillfully dodges the bullets. When he lunges, Havoc tries to fire once more, only to see a bullet jam in his gun.

“Dammit!” he shouts as the man comes closer. Fortunately, another bullet hits his arm, causing him to scream and drop to the ground. Havoc breathes out in relief. It’s a good thing Rebecca is giving sniper support.

The man holds his arm as he crouches down. He growls when Havoc approaches, keeping his gun trained on the man.

“Alright, I got some questions for you.” Havoc stops when he notices that the man doesn’t seem to react to his words.

“I don’t think he understands what I’m saying,” he says.

Barry gasps, “No way… I wondered why he looked familiar. That’s my old body!”

Falman and Havoc look at him in surprise.

“Are you sure?!” Havoc questions.

“Oh, I’m sure! They must have attached a soul of an animal into my body. It came to me because it wanted its old soul back!” Barry laughs in delight, “I can’t wait to chop it up into pieces!”

“Now, hold on, you said you needed it alive!” Falman protests.

“Yeah, shouldn’t you have the urge to return to your body?!” Havoc says incredulously.

Barry scoffs, “Look at it! It’s way past its expiration date!”

They both see what he is talking about. They notice the rotting flesh on the body. Falman gags at the smell.

“I have to do it! I got to put it on the chopping block! I can’t let it go to waste like that!” He lunges at the body, cleaver in hand. He collides with it and starts to wrestle it to the ground.

“Barry, stop!” Havoc yells. Barry doesn’t pay him any mind as he pins it down. The body struggles against his hold as he raises his cleaver.

_Clank!_

Suddenly, Barry falls forward while his body goes limp. Havoc and Falman jump back in surprise.

“…Barry?” Falman calls out cautiously. He doesn’t say anything. Havoc slowly steps forward and nudges the armor with his foot. Still no response.

“What just happened?” Havoc says in confusion.

Falman notices something on Barry’s back, “Wait, that wasn’t there before…”

Havoc sees what Falman had pointed out. There is a bullet hole. Barry had his fair share of them, but all of them were on his front. To their knowledge, he never had any on his back.

“Open him up,” Havoc says. With much effort, both men heave the armor off the decaying body. After laying it down, they take the helmet off. Havoc peers in to look at the neck plate, where the bullet hole should be. Finally, he realizes what had happened. The bullet had hit the seal that had bound Barry’s soul to the armor. What unsettles him is that it hit the seal in the dead center.

A perfect shot.

* * *

Wrath lowers the rifle, satisfied with the results. It was a good thing that Barry the Chopper had left himself open when he held the body down. Otherwise, she would have a hard time aiming for his weak point.

She feels a hand on her shoulder. From behind, she hears Lust purr, “That should end one problem.”

“Why did you follow me?” Wrath asks. She only needed information on where the seal would be located, so Lust’s presence is unnecessary.

“I hardly get to see you work. Besides, I never get to see you like this.”

Wrath frowns. She’s only dressed in her black turtleneck and blue military pants with a mask to hide her identity. She didn’t see what was so special about that.

Lust weaves her arms around Wrath’s shoulders. She turns Wrath’s face towards her and gives a flirtatious smile, “Most of all, it’s your eyes. They’re even colder and more focused than usual, especially with your Ultimate Eye. I don’t ever see them like this.”

As usual, Wrath doesn’t give an answer. She merely shrugs the arms off her. She flips her eyepatch back down, having used her Ultimate Eye for this mission. She takes the rifle and starts to walk off, “Come, we must report this to Father.”

Lust sighs in disappointment and follows her. She asks, “Do you think Mustang will stop after this?”

“I doubt it. If he and the brothers push us one more time, then we will have to put a leash on them.”

* * *

Roy knows something wasn’t right when Catalina became silent on the phone. When he asked about it, she said that Bunny had fainted after an argument with a customer, meaning that something had happened to Barry. He decided he needed to get more details and left his office under the guise of meeting a girlfriend. He went to a phone booth to call from an outside line.

Fuery answers, “Colonel?”

“What happened?”

“Um, I think Lieutenant Havoc should answer that.” Roy hears him hand the phone over.

“Hey boss, so there was a bit of a complication,” Havoc says nervously.

“Just tell me what happened, Havoc.”

“Someone shot Barry down.”

“What?! Who?!”

“We don’t know, sir. Whoever it is has to be an insanely good shot because they got Barry’s seal right in the center.”

Right in the center? Out of all the people, he knows only one person with such deadly accuracy. No, it couldn’t be. She would never…

“Boss? What should we do?”

Roy tries to keep his voice steady, “Get out of there now. You’re no longer safe there. Meet me at Warehouse 5. There’s something I need to do first.”

He hangs up before Havoc can reply. He runs out of the booth and back to Central Command. If she isn’t there right now, he wouldn’t know what to do. He only hopes that his suspicions are wrong. He frantically runs past the soldiers in the hallways, never noticing the dirty looks they give him.

When he arrives at Riza’s office, he slams the door open, startling the secretary. He continues towards the main room, ignoring the secretary’s shouts.

“Colonel Mustang, I’m going to have to ask you to stop!”

He opens the door to find Riza… sitting behind her desk, going through paperwork. She looks up, “Colonel, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?”

Roy sags his shoulders in relief. She couldn’t have traveled from the safe house to here in such a short amount of time. It just wouldn’t be possible, so she isn’t the one who shot Barry…

“Colonel?”

He shakes his head, “No, nothing’s wrong. I just… wanted to surprise you.”

Raising a brow, she nods, “Well, you’ve certainly done that.”

He scratches his head sheepishly, “I’ll just go now. I’ll see you later, Major.”

Roy closes the door behind him and gives an apologetic look to the secretary. He goes to leave the office. He has to meet with his team at the warehouse.

* * *

After Mustang closes the door, Envy smiles gleefully. For once, they are thankful for listening to Wrath’s instructions. The gobsmacked look on the annoying human’s face made it worthwhile, especially after all the trouble he had given them.

They cackle to themselves. They couldn’t wait to tell the others about this.

* * *

“And that’s the end of that,” Havoc finishes recounting what had happened. Roy nods as he looks at Barry’s seal, amazed at how the shot was perfectly aimed.

“So Phase Two ended in failure,” Catalina concludes sadly.

“Not necessarily, someone did come. Just not in the way we wanted,” Havoc says in an attempt to lighten up the situation.

“But there’s something I don’t understand,” Alphonse pipes in. He had met up with Havoc and the others when they were leaving. He had hoped to help out after learning from Ling about Roy’s true plans. He went along with the team to meet with Roy at Warehouse 5.

Roy looks up at him, “And what is that, Alphonse?”

“They only targeted Barry. Why didn’t they go after the rest of you since you know so much?”

“Now that you say that, it’s weird they just left like that. What purpose did targeting Barry specifically serve?” Falman says.

Roy remembers his conversation with Riza on the night of the breakout. Her suggestion is the only reason he can think of. He states firmly, “They only shot Barry down as a way to tell us to stop what we’re doing.”

Alphonse and his team look at him. He explains, “After the autopsy report, I talked to Hawkeye. When I commented how poorly done Ross’s arrest was, she pointed out that it may have been on purpose. They may have framed Ross to try to show us what they are capable of.”

“They dangled an innocent woman’s life just like that? To make a point? That’s so cruel,” Catalina says in horror.

Roy rubs his chin in contemplation, “Still, why let us live? It would be so much easier to kill us off.”

“It may have to do with being a sacrifice,” Alphonse quietly says. He has his head down as he twiddles his thumbs. Roy and his team wait for him to continue. “Back in the Fifth Laboratory, Ed met these two people. When it collapsed, they rescued him. They said that he is valuable to them as a sacrifice. It’s possible that they see you as one too, Colonel.”

While his team is alarmed at what they hear, Roy perks up at the mention of the two people. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a book. He opens it to the sketches provided by Barry. He shows them to Alphonse, “Are these the people he saw?”

“Yeah! That’s them! How did you know?”

“Barry told us about them. According to him, they’re called Lust and Envy.”

“I see. Since they both have the Ouroboros tattoo, it’s likely that they are homunculi.”

Roy widens his eyes, “Homunculi?! But that’s impossible! They’re only a theory!”

“That’s what I thought until I met one named Greed back in Dublith. He said that nothing is impossible. I’ve seen that these homunculi have these healing abilities. I saw Greed get his head knocked off and he was perfectly fine. I understand if you don’t believe me.”

“I believe you. I know you wouldn’t make up something like this,” Roy reassures as he rubs his face. The problems just keep piling up. Then, he realizes, “Wait, did you say Dublith? Wasn’t Major Hawkeye there for an inspection?”

“Yeah, she was actually the one who killed Greed.”

Riza? Why didn’t she tell him about that? Then again, she wasn’t exactly obligated to inform him.

He recalls another detail, “Didn’t the Fuhrer order the inspection?”

“Yeah, Ed and I thought that that was strange since he told us he thought that the military was infiltrated. If he had suspicions about it, then why order to have anyone who could provide information killed?”

“And when did he tell you about the military?”

“The day after the incident at the Fifth Laboratory.”

The timing is suspicious. Roy asks one last question, “Was he the one who gave the order to keep quiet?”

Alphonse nods. Roy says, “So the Fuhrer may be connected to this conspiracy. This is even worse than I thought…”

“Just what are we getting into?” Falman mutters.

“So what should we do now, boss?” Havoc questions.

Roy considers. They gained plenty of information, especially one that could oust Fuhrer Gardner out. Even though this excites him, things are becoming more dangerous. And according to Riza, he wasn’t as careful as he thought. Whoever is behind this must have more eyes and ears than expected. He makes his decision, “We’ll lay low for now.”

His team nods their assent. Alphonse says, “I’ll tell Ed what happened when he gets back from the East.”

“Good, you’re all dismissed. Except for you, 2nd Lieutenant Catalina, I want to speak to you privately,” Roy commands. They do not question him and leave the warehouse. Only Roy and Catalina are left.

“What did you want to talk about, Colonel?”

“I want to know why Grumman sent you. Does it have to do with Riza?”

Roy never got the chance to confront her about this due to being busy with work and all, especially with rescuing Ross. Catalina shifts her feet nervously, “Yes, Grumman sent me to watch over her.”

“Why? Is she in danger? Does he suspect her of something?”

“Oh no. Nothing like that. It really is as simple as making sure nothing happens to her.”

That’s odd. There had to be more to this. Most of the time, Grumman had an ulterior motive behind his actions.

“There has to be a reason behind this. Did he at least tell you why?”

Catalina sighs, “Actually, he did tell me, but this is something you have to ask him yourself. His reason for this is more personal.”

Roy nods slowly, “Have you gotten a chance to do what he ordered?”

She shakes her head sadly, “No, I haven’t with everything that’s been going on. Besides, she seems to be avoiding me.”

“What?” That didn’t sound like Riza.

“Yeah. I’ve seen her in the hallways a few times. She would just walk past me like I’m not there.”

Roy can see that Catalina is hurt by this and feels sympathetic towards her. He is also confused at Riza’s behavior. She’s not the kind to turn away from friends like that.

“You two were best friends, weren’t you?” he asks quietly. Catalina wouldn’t feel so strongly about this if it were otherwise.

“Yes. She stopped keeping in touch so suddenly. After everything we’ve done in the academy, there shouldn’t be a reason to do that.”

“And when did she stop?”

“During the Ishvalan War. I figured something must have happened to her. Still, she wouldn’t let that stop her.” Roy nods in agreement. Everything that Catalina had said is very uncharacteristic of Riza. He isn’t sure what to make of it.

“Colonel?” He looks up at her to see that her eyes are downcast. She asks, “I know I should’ve moved on after seven years, but is it wrong of me to still want my best friend back?”

He understands the feeling. He wants Maes here to support him more than anything. He answers, “No…no, it isn’t.”

* * *

“The missing guard proved to be too much of a risk to us, so I personally eliminated him. This should limit the amount of information Mustang and the brothers could potentially find. It will also serve as another message, one clearer than the Ross incident,” Wrath reports.

Father keeps his face blank as he nods. Envy chortles, “You should have seen Mustang’s face when he barged in! I wish I could reenact it! Wait, I can!”

They transform into Roy and replicate the expression he supposedly had when he came to her office. Wrath tries her best not to react and tightens her hold on the hilt of her sword to rein her anger in. Thankfully, Father does not have the patience for their antics, “That’s enough from you, Envy!”

Envy turns back into their usual form and crosses their arms petulantly. Father turns his attention back to Wrath, “You had Envy take your place?”

“Yes. Mustang is familiar with my skill sets as a sniper, so there was a possibility he would suspect me. I had Envy stay in my office for the entirety of the assignment to provide an undeniable alibi.”

“I see, and the outcome you have foreseen. The one in which we reveal ourselves to them. How soon do you believe it is coming?”

“Very soon, Father. While everything has served well as distractions, they did not as warnings. I know they will continue to investigate even after I took out the guard. I intend to stop them when the time comes.”

“Good, then I trust you to prepare for this event.”

“Of course.”


	7. Chapter 7

When Wrath found out about Edward very publically helping citizens with his alchemy, she thought that it was a bit peculiar, but she didn’t act on it. And then she heard that Scar had been seen causing a disruption. She wouldn’t be surprised if there is a connection between the two. Still, Scar has to be taken down, leading her to the first reported sighting of the criminal. As she walks down the passageway, she passes by an alley, “Come, Gluttony.”

He steps out of the dark with a hungry look, “I smell the Ishvalan. Can I eat him?”

“Yes, you can.”

He gives an excited squeal as he climbs onto the rooftop. He starts racing from building to building with Wrath following below at a slower pace. She had requested him as backup to better pinpoint Scar’s location.

“I smell him! Time to—“

She hears a crash and looks up to see that Gluttony had been knocked into a building. There are two more people, ones that she does not recognize. One is a young man dressed in expensive-looking clothing. He appears to be Xingese by descent. The other has on a black robe along with a red and white mask.

The young man addresses Gluttony cheerfully, “Hi there! That’s an unusual body you have! Why don’t you come with us? We have a few questions for you!”

“Don’t bother running. I can sense your presence and follow it,” the masked one warns. Wrath narrows her eyes at that. Considering the reports about Edward and Scar, it isn’t a coincidence that these two people are here. She realizes that Edward must have assisted all those people on purpose to lure Scar. But for what? It’s likely that these strangers are involved in this plan of his.

Gluttony tilts his head to the side, “Follow? Me? Then I’ll just have to eat you!”

Wrath decides to intervene. She can tell that the strangers will be problematic to them. Better to get rid of them now. She grasps her sword, “So you two can detect him.”

They look at her as she unsheathes her blade. She takes out another, “That truly is annoying. Why don’t we take care of that?”

She charges at the masked one. The man shouts, “Lan Fan, run!”

The person named Lan Fan is never given a chance to for Wrath is already in front of them. She swipes at their left arm. Like Scar, her opponent is quicker than expected. They use a kunai in an attempt to deflect the blow. They succeed in lessening the injury as Wrath had aimed to cut the arm clean off.

Her sword breaks the person’s mask in the process, revealing them to be a young woman. She screams as she falls onto another rooftop below. She lands and clutches her arm, which is bleeding profusely.

Wrath’s sword splits from the kunai. She takes a look at the broken blade, “How clever.”

“Can I eat her? Can I?” Gluttony impatiently asks.

“Fine, do it quickly.”

He lunges towards the woman, eager to have his meal. However, the man cuts his head and hands off in mid-air. Gluttony flops down as the man lands deftly next to Lan Fan. He picks her up. Knowing that he will attempt to escape, Wrath rushes in for another attack.

She is impressed when she finds that he is skilled at combat. Even with the girl on his shoulder, he is still quick enough to parry her blows with his sword. He even dodges a few of her slashes. Wrath notices something about his movement. The young man keeps jumping to stay in her blind spot. She has to stop him. Gluttony should be regenerated by now. She yells, “Gluttony!”

He leaps over her and slams the man with his fists. The man is sent flying across into an abandoned building, crashing through a window. Wrath and Gluttony follow to where he landed inside. They find him in a room, picking himself up with Lan Fan still on his shoulder.

“Good, no one will see us here. I need you to answer some questions,” Wrath says as she jumps into the room. Gluttony lands behind her. She asks, “Do you happen to be acquainted with Edward Elric?”

Her question is answered when the man stiffens. She continues to interrogate, “I see, then what exactly is he trying to do with Scar? What is your purpose in all of this?”

The man doesn’t respond. Instead, he looks around for an exit. Wrath raises a brow, “You’re still looking for an escape? You just won’t give up.”

He glares at her, “I’ve seen you on the newspapers. You’re Riza Hawkeye, am I correct? You’re supposedly one of this country’s heroes. How could you turn on your own people like this? Some hero you are.”

She clenches her hands around the grips of her swords. It is obvious that he is trying to avoid answering her questions. Still, his insult strangely strikes a nerve. Wrath then notices movement from the girl and realizes too late that she had thrown a flash bomb.

Blinding light fills the room, causing Wrath to cover her eye with an arm. She hears footsteps. The man must be making his escape. She can’t let that happen. She tears her eyepatch off and uses her Ultimate Eye to see through the light. After determining the direction he is heading, she throws her broken sword at the doorway, stopping him in his tracks.

He turns in surprise and sees her Ultimate Eye. He takes a step back in shock as Wrath taunts, “You didn’t blind this eye.”

Even with her Ultimate Eye, her view of the girl is still blocked, making her unable to see the girl take out a grenade. Once more, Wrath realizes too late when the girl throws it. Quickly, she takes cover in the hallway next to the room. Even though she has regenerative abilities, her uniform did not. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself with shredded clothing. After everything is cleared out, she steps back in and sees Gluttony reforming from the explosion. Remembering that she heard a crash before the grenade detonated, she looks out the window and sees the man running down the streets. He is leaving behind a trail of blood from the girl’s arm.

She narrows her eyes and feels herself starting to become angry. Recalling the man’s insult adds fuel to her rage. Wrath turns to Gluttony, “Can you follow their scent?”

When he nods, she tells him, “Follow them from the rooftops. I’ll do it on the streets.”

Gluttony jumps out of the building and lands onto the roof of another. Wrath takes out a spare eyepatch as she goes down the stairs. She puts it on before leaving and starts to follow the trail of blood.

It leads her to a deserted area in the city. As she walks down the alley, she hears an explosion from a distance. Scar still has to be taken care of. She looks up at Gluttony, “Go deal with Scar. I’ll handle these two.”

She continues following the trail. She takes many turns and finds several dead ends. It seems that they are struggling to find a way out. When she reaches one more turn, she readies her blade. She steps around the turn and points it at her target.

However, what she sees is the last thing she ever expects. She finds a severed arm tied to a dog, who tries to shake it off. Wrath recognizes the arm as the girl’s. Both impressed and angry that they managed to get away, she smiles bitterly to herself, “Well played.”

With the strangers gone, she decides to go back to deal with Scar. After disposing the arm, she heads back to the general direction of where the explosion occurred. She finds a group of MPs near the site. They salute her, “Major Hawkeye!”

“What’s going on here?”

Before they can answer, a car speeds past. It is gone as soon as it comes. A human wouldn’t be able to see the passengers at the pace the car was going. It’s a good thing that Wrath is not human. She saw the young Xingese man in the back seat. Next to him was Gluttony, bound by what looked to be cable. The driver was a blond haired man wearing glasses. Wrath saw through his poor disguise.

It was Jean Havoc.

She now knows that Roy is involved. She finally connects the dots and realizes what exactly this plan was. Edward had helped the citizens to lure Scar in. Considering that Gluttony is captured, he must have started a fight in hopes of drawing the homunculi out since he knows that he is needed alive. The two strangers must have been supposed to catch whoever came.

Knowing that she had played into their plan, Wrath clenches her hands to keep them from trembling. The anger does not last long as she feels resigned with what she must do next. It is an event that she had been dreading since the Dublith incident. There is no doubt that the Xingese man will tell Roy about her identity. She wishes that the inevitable confrontation could be avoided.

_Roy, you’ve truly pushed it this time_, she thinks sadly.

* * *

After seeing Winry off at the train station, Edward and Alphonse head to the safe house to meet with the others. While the gamble to get a homunculus had worked out, they are horrified to learn what the cost had been. Lan Fan had ended up cutting off her own arm and Ling still hadn’t told them what had led up to it.

Fortunately, Mustang brought Dr. Knox in to help out. After listening to her screams for what seemed to be hours, everyone is relieved to hear that she will be alright. Edward makes a note to himself to refer Lan Fan to Winry.

Mustang offers his hand to Ling, “I’m Colonel Roy Mustang. Thank you for helping us.”

Ling shakes it, “And I’m Ling Yao, twelfth son of the emperor of Xing. It’s me who should be thanking you for finding a doctor.”

“It’s no problem. Besides, I owe you for helping Ross and bringing this thing in.” He turns the lantern towards the homunculus struggling against the cable.

“What is that?” Dr. Knox asks.

“That’s Gluttony. He’s a homunculus. He and his friends seem to be working with some of the senior staff in the military,” Mustang explains.

“Is Riza Hawkeye part of the senior staff?” Ling questions. They all look at him. Edward wonders why he would even ask that.

“No, she’s not. Why do you ask?” Alphonse says.

“Because I believe she’s a homunculus as well.”

Everyone startles in shock. Edward cannot believe his ears. Major Hawkeye? A homunculus? How could this be? She was kind to him after the State Exam. Visited him to make sure he was okay after his fight with McDougal. She saved him and Alphonse from Scar. Hughes and Armstrong trusted her. Despite his anger from Dublith, he and his brother still thought they could trust her after Armstrong’s reassurance.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Mustang dropping his lantern. Thanks to his quick reflex, he catches it before it hits the ground. They couldn’t start a fire in here. However, he does not anticipate Mustang grabbing Ling by the shirt. Edward goes to stop him but freezes when he sees the look on Mustang’s face.

It is hard to describe his eyes. To say that they could burn Ling right then would be an understatement. As he brings Ling closer, Mustang shouts, “You’re lying! She can’t be one! That’s impossible!”

Ling looks offended at the accusation, “I know what I saw! She has an Ouroboros tattoo on her eye! The one under the patch! She was with Gluttony and came after us! She’s the reason why Lan Fan lost her arm!”

This proves to anger Mustang even more. With a growl, he pulls his fist to punch Ling. Alphonse gasps, “Colonel!”

He grabs Mustang’s arm. Mustang struggles against Alphonse’s hold, “Let go of me!”

“There has to be an explanation, Colonel! But you have to calm down! Please!” Alphonse pleads.

Never did Edward think that he would ever end up in this position, being the one to try to stop Mustang from doing anything reckless. He says, “Al is right. I promise you that we will get to the bottom of this, but we won’t be able to if you don’t calm down.”

Mustang considers his words, his fist still shaking. After several tense moments, he lowers his arm and Alphonse lets go. Mustang’s shoulders slump down. The anger in his eyes is replaced by denial.

He shakes his head, “I know she doesn’t have an Ouroboros on her left eye. I’ve seen what’s on it. Before… before…”

Edward frowns. What did Mustang mean by that?

* * *

“_So the humans have finally pushed us, Wrath_,” Pride muses.

She stops in her tracks. She just arrived back at the Bradley mansion, on her way to have dinner. She hopes that it will be a good distraction to help calm her nerves. Pride is definitely not helping.

“Yes, so it seems,” she says softly.

“_I hope that you made the arrangements for their punishment_.”

“Everything is in place. It’s just a matter of waiting now.”

“_What about Gluttony_?”

“I have access to military information. I know where he is. Lust should be there by now.”

She could only hope that Lust will not go overboard.

* * *

As the boss had ordered him, Havoc stands guard outside the safe house. There is a shout from inside and he recognizes it as the boss’s. He decides to go back in to make sure everything is fine. When he puts his hand on the door knob, he hears rustling from the bushes. He aims his gun, “Whoever is there, come out now!”

“I’m hurt, Jean. After all the times we had together, I would never expect you to point a gun at me.”

A beautiful woman steps out. Havoc widens his eyes. It’s his girlfriend. Why would she be here?

“Solaris, what…?” He trails off when his eyes flicker down to her sternum. It occurs to him why she had always worn high neck clothing on their dates. There is an Ouroboros tattoo above her cleavage.

_Oh shit…_

Panic overtakes him as he freezes. There is only one thing running through his mind, “Y-you’re a—“

Pain shoots through his body. He looks down to see his abdomen impaled by what seems to be a long spear. He sees that it leads back to the homunculus’s finger.

She gives a sadistic smile, “I think it’s safe to say that we’re breaking up.”

She yanks her finger out. Havoc screams as he falls forward. Darkness envelops him.

* * *

They hear screaming and look at the door in panic. Mustang rushes and slams it open, “Havoc, what’s going on?!”

He stops at the doorway. Wondering what is happening, Edward looks over his shoulder and becomes horrified at what he sees. Havoc is lying face down on the ground. A pool of blood is steadily forming around him.

“Lieutenant!” Alphonse yells.

“Now that I got your attention,” a female voice says.

They see a woman standing a few feet away from them, licking blood off from her sharpened fingers. Edward recognizes her, “You’re that woman from the Fifth Laboratory.”

Her smile widens, “So you remember me, Fullmetal. I’m touched.”

“Who are you? Lust or Envy?”

She raises an eyebrow and gestures to herself, “I think that should be obvious. I am Lust and I believe you have something of ours.”

Mustang speaks out in a deadly calm voice, “Tell me, do you know who Maes Hughes is?”

Edward and Alphonse look at him in surprise. Lust gives a shrug, “Ah, yes, a smart man he was. I didn’t kill him if that’s what you’re wondering, but I regret not picking his brains—“

She is interrupted when Mustang pulls out a gun and shoots her in the leg, forcing her down on one knee. She gives an indignant look as her wound heals, “That was rude.”

Keeping his gun trained on her, Mustang steps closer towards her, “I have another question for you. What did you do to Riza Hawkeye?”

The question surprises the others more than the first. Even Lust looks taken back. Then, as if she is having a revelation, she starts shaking her head while chuckling, “Well, this is an interesting development. I wonder if she knows…”

She smiles, one even wider than before. Edward begins to feel unsettled. He doesn’t want to know what she’s planning to do. Lust continues, “What I was just about say is that I regret not picking Hughes’s brains out. But it looks like I can make up for it by picking yours, Colonel.”

To their shock, she takes out her claws and stabs herself in the chest. She pries it open, revealing a red stone. Edward recalls his talk with Marcoh, who said that it takes on many forms. It is…

“The Philosopher’s Stone,” Alphonse says in awe and horror.

“Yes, it is what makes us homunculi. It is our core. Our heart.”

Mustang starts to lose his patience, “You’re avoiding the question, homunculus. Now answer me, what did you do to Hawkeye?!”

“Slow down, boy, I’m getting there. You see, Hawkeye was deemed worthy to be bestowed an honor to become superior to humans. Become one of us. We offered her a Stone and she wasn’t in a position to refuse.”

“Liar! She would never accept that!” Mustang roars. Edward looks at him. Did he know more about Hawkeye than he let on?

Lust raises a brow, “I did say that she wasn’t in a position to refuse.”

Getting her implication, Edward widens his eyes while Alphonse gasps. So Hawkeye was made into a homunculus against her will. When did this happen? How does that happen? Is this even true?

It is obvious that Mustang realizes this as well, his hand holding the gun is trembling. He stays silent. At every passing second, Edward becomes more nervous. He is afraid to see what happens next.

Finally, Mustang growls out, “You _bitch_.”

He drops the gun and readies his gloves. Edward starts to panic, knowing what he is about to do.

“Colonel, don’t!” he yells. He is too late as Mustang snaps his fingers, engulfing Lust in flames. The brothers, Ling, and Knox watch in fear as her screams echo throughout the forest.

* * *

Gluttony isn’t happy. He just wanted to eat. He still wants to eat. There are all these delicious-looking people here. It makes him unhappy that he couldn’t eat them as he is bound by cable. He struggles against it. He wants to eat.

He hears a scream coming from outside. It is Lust’s. She’s in pain…

“Lust is hurting. Humans are hurting Lust. Humans must pay.”

He begins to expand himself against his restraints.

* * *

Mustang was about to snap his fingers again when they feel a gust of wind blow past them. It was so strong that it could have knocked them off their feet. They see that one of the cars parked in front is gone. Part of the house is missing as well and begins to collapse.

“Lan Fan!” Ling yells as he runs back in. Knox follows.

“What the hell was that?!” Edward shouts.

“Is Lust okay?” Gluttony steps out of the house and what they see is unexpected. His stomach is open, lined with teeth. Edward sees the Eye inside.

“The Gate…” he whispers to himself. Gluttony turns towards them and readies himself to swallow them.

“Stop, Gluttony!” Lust says. He freezes and looks at her in confusion.

“But humans are hurting Lust. Humans must pay.”

“We need them alive. I’m sure there’s something else to eat,” Lust soothes. Mustang takes advantage of the distraction and snaps his fingers. This time, both homunculi are overtaken by the fire. Gluttony simply swallows it up. The attack proves to anger him more. With Lust still regenerating and unable to stop him, he turns to them.

“Run!” Mustang says. They dodge the gust of air as they run into the forest.

“Why did you do that for?! You made him mad!” Edward shouts.

“We need to divert him and Lust away from the house! We have to give the others time to escape!”

He can’t refute Mustang there. He looks over his shoulder. To his relief, Gluttony is no longer behind them. Lust must have stopped him. When they find a place to hide, Edward turns to Mustang, “You have to get back. We’ll handle things from here.”

“What?! Are you telling me to retreat?! After everything she said?!”

“Yes! You’re not thinking clearly right now and that’s the last thing we need!”

“Why you!”

Alphonse cuts in, “What about Lieutenant Havoc?”

Mustang stops. Realizing that he had forgotten about his adjutant in his rage, he looks horrified. Alphonse presses on, “What if he’s alive right now? If you keep going like this, then he’ll die for sure. You need to help him, Colonel.”

Edward pleads, “Please, trust us.”

Taken back by the young alchemist actually begging him, Mustang relents, “Okay, I’ll go.”

He gets up to leave. Edward and Alphonse look at each other and nod, ready to fight. Mustang calls to him, “Fullmetal.”

They turn to look at him.

“Don’t die. That’s an order.”

* * *

Roy is sitting down on one of the benches at the hospital, his head in his hands. He is thankful that the brothers stopped him. When he came back, Lust and Gluttony were fortunately gone. He found Knox trying to help Havoc after putting Lan Fan in the car. Ling had run off to help the brothers. Havoc turned out to still be alive miraculously. Roy acted quickly and cauterized the wound.

According to Knox, if he had done it a minute later, Havoc wouldn’t have had much of a chance. He dropped off Knox and Lan Fan at Knox’s house before rushing to the hospital. Right now, Havoc is in surgery and Roy had been waiting for a few hours now. Shame washes over him for letting his rage get the best of him. He may lose one of his subordinates for his mistake.

While waiting, he used the time to think about everything that had happened.

Riza… a homunculus… it couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be possible. He knew her before she started wearing that eyepatch. There was no Ouroboros tattoo on the eye. If what Ling said is true, the only explanation he can think of is that Riza was replaced by an impersonator. He knows for sure that this must have happened during the Ishvalan War. That was when she or whoever that is started wearing the patch.

That was what he thought before Lust came. Her account is one that he desperately wishes is not true. The thought of Riza being forced to become a homunculus makes him feel sick to the stomach. It would mean that he failed all those years ago. He realizes now that Lust may have been lying to mess with him. There is a chance that it’s not true, what Lust and Ling said.

There is a voice in the back of his mind that keeps repeating:

_It can’t be true… she’s not a homunculus… it’s just not true…_

His thoughts are cut short when the doctor comes through the door. Roy stands up, eager for the news. The doctor tells him, “He’s going to live. What you did with the wound gave him a chance.”

Roy collapses back down in relief. However, the doctor follows with the bad news in a regretful voice, “But I’m afraid that he will not be able to walk after this. Whatever impaled him severed his spinal cord. I’m so sorry for this. I wish there was more I can do.”

Roy feels his breath knocked out of him. He barely hears the doctor tell him that Havoc is now resting and that he can visit him. He manages to thank the doctor, who leaves him to his thoughts.

He clenches his fists. He’s been so useless. He left Edward, Alphonse, and Ling to deal with the homunculi. He left children to do the fighting. Now his subordinate has been crippled for following him.

He gets up from the bench. He can’t just sit here and wait. He’s going to do what he can to help. It’s the least that he can do for them.

_You need to get as many allies as you can…_

It’s about time he starts following Maes’s advice.

* * *

He stopped by his apartment to get his uniform before heading to Central Command. He finds himself standing at the entrance. He takes a deep breath before going in.

As soon as he walks in, he hears a jovial voice, “Why, is that the Flame Alchemist? Are you Colonel Mustang?”

He sees Lt. General Raven bounding towards him. He remembers Grumman saying Raven is a man devoted to ensuring the well-being of his soldiers. Raven would be a good start, but there is one detail.

He is Riza’s commanding officer.

Roy decides to test the waters with Raven. He gives a salute, “Yes, I am. And you’re Lt. General Raven.”

The older man gives a booming laugh, “So you know about me! I’m ashamed that it’s taken so long to finally meet you, Colonel!”

“Oh, no. It’s alright, General. I know a man like yourself is busy with his duties.”

Raven sighs good-heartedly, “Speaking of which, I have a meeting to get to. And at such an early hour too. The sun hasn’t even risen yet! Anyways, why don’t you accompany me there so we can talk?”

“Of course, sir.”

A comfortable silence falls as they walk down the halls. After a few minutes, Raven asks, “So how are you adjusting to Central?”

Roy exhales, “It’s been hard lately with all the rumors about me.”

Raven nods sympathetically, “Yes, I understand how they can make one’s life difficult.”

“Indeed. Still, some can be quite ridiculous. Even amusing at times. How can anyone even believe them?”

“I see, and what is it that people say?”

“Well, there’s the one about how Scar was seen feeding a stray cat. There’s another about immortality being found.”

“That is quite far-fetched. I wonder how people can even come up with that,” Raven agrees, his face doesn’t show any reaction. Roy knows he has one more trick up his sleeve to better gauge this man’s trustworthiness.

When they stop in front of the meeting room, he says, “I did hear the most absurd rumor out of all of them.”

Raven raises his eyebrows slightly, “Oh, and what would that be?”

“That the Hawk’s Eye is a homunculus.”

The older man only laughs as he opens the door, “My, that is ridiculous indeed! Why don’t we discuss that over tea?”

Roy opens his mouth to refuse, only to stop at what he sees. Sitting down at the table is every member of the top brass, all eyeing him critically. Realizing that they had been waiting for him, he starts to sweat.

“Go on, why don’t you tell them? That little rumor you heard,” Raven urges.

“Yes, I for one would like to hear about it,” a familiar voice pipes in.

Roy stiffens and looks to where it originated. At the head of the table is not Fuhrer Gardner. No, the gray-haired man is sitting at the right of the chair that should belong to him. Instead of him, it is Riza sitting on it as if it had always been hers.

Hiding her mouth behind her interlaced fingers, she has her eyes closed with her eyepatch in front of her. Roy is not the religious type, but he begs any god that exists that she does not open them, not to confirm what he had been fearing the entire night. What he had been denying.

Unfortunately, his prayers are ignored as Riza opens her eyes. He feels as if he is falling into the fiery pits of hell. Numb with shock and grief, he stares at the Ouroboros tattoo on her left eye.

She stands up from her chair and speaks in an emotionless voice, “You should’ve heeded our warning, Colonel.”


	8. Chapter 8

He continues to stare at the Ouroboros on her eye while she looks back steadily, her face blank. Without breaking eye contact, Riza-- no, the homunculus-- says, “I trust that you can continue the meeting without me, Gardner.”

The Fuhrer bows his head, “Of course.”

She nods, “Good. Come, Colonel, we’re going to have a talk.”

She puts her eyepatch on before going to the doorway at the side of the meeting room. She stops and looks at Roy over her shoulder expectedly. Still in shock, he has to be pushed by Raven to move. He numbly follows her into the Fuhrer’s office, where she gestures towards the chair in front of the desk.

“Sit,” she orders. After he does so, she goes to make tea. Roy can only watch her in disbelief. Even after seeing her eye, he still just couldn’t accept it.

_But it is true…_

The sun is beginning to rise with the light shining through the window. The only sound in the room is that of the homunculus pouring the tea. She places a cup in front of him before going to the window with her own. With her facing the window, her back is towards him, keeping her face hidden.

They spend the next few minutes in tense silence. Roy stares at her, waiting for to say her piece. However, she does not say anything, remaining unmoved.

When it all becomes unbearable, he blurts out, “Are you Riza or not?”

She does not answer at first. He hears a clink from her placing the cup onto the saucer. Finally, she says tonelessly, “No, I’m not.”

Anger breaks through the shock. He clenches his fists on his knees. He glares at her, “So what are you? Are you a homunculus made in her image?”

“No, not exactly.”

He widens his eyes. Fear quickly replaces the anger. His first theory is not correct. That means, “Then what Lust said is true.”

“You’re going to have to be more specific than that, Colonel. What exactly did she say?”

“The Philosopher’s Stone is what makes a homunculus. Riza became one by being forced to take a Stone.”

“Forced? I highly doubt Lust actually said that. Other than that, yes, it is true. To put it mildly, Riza Hawkeye was chosen to become my host.”

Roy shudders out a breath. In a hoarse voice, he asks, “When did this happen?”

“You’re a smart man. I’m sure you already know.”

He does. He just needed to confirm.

“During the Ishvalan War. That was when the eyepatch appeared. And the explosion, it was just a ruse, wasn’t it?” he says softly.

“Correct. It was a way to extract her.”

He tightens his fists, remembering the time after the explosion, when he thought she was dead. He can’t imagine what would’ve happened if Maes hadn’t been there for him. And to think that it had all been a lie. The past seven years had all been a lie.

“What do they call you?” he angrily demands.

“Why do you ask?”

“The other homunculi have their own names. Lust. Envy. Gluttony. Yours is one of the seven deadly sins. Am I right?”

“Intelligent man you are, Colonel. But what is wrong with Riza Hawkeye? It is the name you have known me as for the last seven years.”

Her voice never changes inflection, keeping it flat. Growing irritated, he snaps back, “I refuse to call you by the name you _stole_ from her.”

There is a pause before she says, “I see. If it matters that much to you.”

She turns around to face him, teacup and saucer in hand. She places them on the desk. Putting her hands behind her, she looks at him.

“I am Wrath.”

“Wrath…” Roy whispers to himself, as if testing the name. She nods, patiently waiting for him to say more. He finds himself with so many questions. He decides to go for the one he had been so afraid to ask.

“How did it happen? How does one make a homunculus from a human?”

* * *

“No… you’re lying to us, Lust! Aren’t you?! You’re lying!” Edward yells. Lust does not react, maintaining her grim expression as she leans against a pillar in the sea of blood.

When Mustang left to help Havoc, the brothers started a fight with Lust and Gluttony to keep them distracted from the others. Ling had joined to help them. The fight had ended with Edward, Ling, and Lust being swallowed by Gluttony. Edward and Ling had spent hours trying to find a way out before Lust finally found them. She had just finished explaining that Gluttony was a failed experiment by their Father to create the Gate. That there is no way to escape and that the only thing they can do is to wait for their deaths.

Seeing the look on Lust’s face, Ling realizes that she is not lying, “So there really is no way out…”

Edward shakes his head, “No, no way. I can’t die here. I made a promise to Al…”

It couldn’t end this way. Not when they still haven’t gotten their bodies back. He can’t leave Alphonse and Winry like this.

He glares angrily at Lust, “Who the hell is your Father?! Who would make their own Gate?! Did Major Hawkeye have something to do with it?!”

She narrows her eyes, “Are you seriously asking that? Hawkeye’s just a homunculus. Our Father is much more than that.”

Ling mutters, “Told you.”

Edward only clenches his fists, remembering Lust’s story about Hawkeye. “And the whole thing about Major Hawkeye back then? Was that a lie?”

Lust smiles, “That’s the beauty of it all. It wasn’t.”

Ling and Edward both widen their eyes. Ling eagerly questions, “How does that happen? Making a homunculus out of a human?”

Edward glances at Ling, who must be taking the opportunity to learn more about immortality. Lust explains, “It’s quite simple actually. You inject a Philosopher’s Stone into the human’s bloodstream.”

“Injection? Then the Stone must be in liquid form for this to happen,” Edward deduces.

“Aren’t you clever, Fullmetal boy,” Lust says condescendingly before continuing, “The rest is up to the human.”

Feeling the tension rise, Edward asks carefully, “What do you mean?”

“The Stone’s essence takes over the body and the human naturally fights back. The body tears and rebuilds itself as the two battle each other. The human has only two choices: overcome it or die. In most cases, the human dies. From what I’ve seen, it’s a very painful process.” Lust’s smile becomes nostalgic, “I can still remember Hawkeye’s screams when she was made. They were music to my ears.”

Both boys can only stare at her in horror.

* * *

“And out of all the souls that fought for dominance within me, the wrathful one won,” Wrath finishes, having described the excruciating procedure of turning into a homunculus. At one point during her explanation, she had turned back to the window.

Roy stares at her, wide-eyed. He regrets asking the question. He swallows, trying not to vomit. He then shuts his eyes closed, trying to block out any images of Riza screaming in agony. His fists are shaking on his knees as he tries to regain his composure.

If Wrath knows about the turmoil he is undergoing, she does not give any indication as she continues to keep her back towards him. Roy takes deep breaths, barely calming himself down. He can’t keep asking about Riza. He won’t last any longer if he did. He has more questions. He has to keep going.

He manages to ask, “How long have the homunculi been controlling the military?”

“Since the country’s very beginning.”

“So the Fuhrer is just your puppet? Is it just a title?”

“Not necessarily. It depends on who holds it. In this case, my identity as a homunculus happens to put me above Gardner.”

“Then why not make you the Fuhrer?”

“That would be ideal, wouldn’t it? But would you have believed it?” she asks rhetorically.

No, he wouldn’t. He would question it. It would not be realistic to do that at her age. He presses on, “Then if you are the one who controls the military, then why go through all this trouble making yourself famous as a hero of Amestris?”

Wrath answers cryptically, “Because there are other forms of power.”

* * *

“You bastards… you took an innocent woman and twisted her!” Edward yells.

Lust raises a brow in amusement, “Innocent? I can assure you that Hawkeye was far from that before she was chosen. If you knew what she has done, then you wouldn’t be saying that.”

She gestures towards Ling, “I recall that she was the one who had your friend’s arm cut off.”

He looks at Ling, who only looks down. The young prince doesn’t make a move to deny it. Seeing this, Edward shakes his head, “No, she wouldn’t do that. You’re wrong.”

“You’re still defending her? How pathetic can you be? You’ve seen for yourself what she is capable of.”

He stiffens. To his horror, he finds that Lust is right. He remembers finding Hawkeye after she killed McDougal. Her fight with Scar. The Dublith incident.

She didn’t hesitate to shoot those chimeras in front of Alphonse…

Lust has a pleased look, enjoying herself. She goes on, “I didn’t realize you trusted her that much. She did more than a good job as a spy. I knew she would be better than her predecessor.”

Ling’s eyes widen, “What? There was another before Hawkeye?”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure you’re familiar with the late Fuhrer King Bradley.”

“Are you saying that our country’s old leader was a homunculus?” Edward growls out. Lust’s smile gives the answer.

He couldn’t believe the true extent of the military’s corruption. He recalls everything he had learned since he met Marcoh. The Philosopher’s Stone, the Fifth Laboratory, human sacrifices, homunculi…

With the new information of last Fuhrer’s identity, he makes a realization and decides to confirm, “If King Bradley was on your side, then you had a hand in the Ishvalan War, didn’t you?”

Lust’s eyes light up in excitement, “You remember the event that started it all?”

“I heard it was because a military officer accidentally shot an Ishvalan child.”

Her smile widens, “That’s right, Fullmetal boy. It was one of our own who did it.”

Edward and Ling startle in shock. Edward’s anger reaches its peak. He screams, “Who was it?! Who shot that innocent child?!”

Giving a sly look, she says, “Let’s keep that a mystery for now.”

Seeing red, Edward jumps into the sea of blood and starts trudging towards her. Lust doesn’t move, unbothered. She continues, “Human foolishness never cease to amaze me. All it took was the murder of one child to start bloodshed, giving into more bloodshed. No matter how many times it happens, humans never learn.”

Hearing this, his rage becomes unbearable to contain. Edward clenches his fists as he nears her. He says, “You were the ones who destroyed my home. The ones who drove out the Ishvalans. Turned Scar into a murderer. You’re the reason why Winry’s parents were killed!”

When he reaches her, he throws his fist at her. He misses when Lust moves her head to the side and ends up hitting the pillar. She gives a delighted smile, “I was hoping you’d do that. I need some entertainment. Besides, it won’t hurt to add more blood to this place.”

She holds up her hand. Her fingers elongate into claws. Ling yells, “Ed, watch out!”

He grabs Edward and pulls him back. Lust’s claws misses Edward’s head by an inch. Both boys jump back in an attempt to put distance away from her.

“Looks like we’re fighting,” Ling comments grimly.

Edward nods, transmuting his automail arm into a sword.

* * *

Roy does not know how long they have been in the room. Most likely hours at this point. Are they waiting for something or someone? He stares at the homunculus that took _her_ body. He considers everything he has learned so far.

This whole time… she was gone. He failed her. He failed Riza. The one from the last seven years was a fraud. He remembers when he reunited with her back in Ishval. The angry look she gave him for betraying her trust. For his use of flame alchemy in the war. The despair in her eyes. He then realizes…

It was the last time he saw the real Riza Hawkeye.

He looks down at the floor, grief overwhelming him. Shame washes over him for trusting the homunculus, knowing that he had freely given information to her. He is not the only one who trusted her. Armstrong, the Elric brothers, and Maes…

Maes…

To his horror, Roy recalls that he was the one who asked Maes to watch over her. He sent his best friend to the monster. He looks back up to Wrath. She may be the culprit.

“Were you the one who killed Maes?” he asks in a low voice.

“No, I wasn’t.”

He feels relief. He doesn’t know what he would do if Maes’s murderer had the same face as Riza’s. Remembering the events the happened after, he questions further, “And what about Ross? Were you the one who framed her?”

“Yes.”

Anger sparks within him. “So you played with an innocent woman’s life just to give a warning. That time at the hospital. You were there to make sure I got the message.”

“That was one reason. The other was to see if you had anything to do with the breakout.”

He remembers the perfect shot at Barry’s seal, “You were the one who shot Barry the Chopper, weren’t you?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“How? I saw you in the office.”

“It’s one of my… colleague’s expertise,” she answers vaguely.

Becoming frustrated, he snaps, “So all this time, you and the others were just messing with us. You all were laughing at our struggles.”

“I was hardly laughing, Colonel. I can’t speak for the others though.”

Now outraged by her seeming indifference, he growls, “Maes trusted you. You took advantage of him, didn’t you? You repaid him by having your _colleague _kill him.”

Finally, he gets a reaction out of her. She turns from the window quickly. He sees rage in her eye. There is a tremor in her voice when she says, “I had _nothing_ to do with Maes’s murder.”

He keeps his glare, not letting his surprise show. “What are you saying?”

“Exactly what I said. I didn’t know it occurred until after.”

He narrows his eyes, “You’re speaking as if you didn’t want it to happen.”

“Yes, because I knew you would do something about it. I know you, Colonel.”

The statement causes discomfort in Roy. The fact that the enemy could predict his moves unsettles him. Trying to shake the feeling off, he presses on, “Then what would you have done if you had known he was going to be killed?”

She answers plainly, “Keep him silent. He had Gracia and Elicia to think about.”

Horrified, he exclaims, “How could you say that? Maes and Gracia welcomed you with open arms! And Elicia, she sees you as an aunt!”

She doesn’t say anything at first, staring blankly at Roy. Then, in a soft voice, she points out, “But Maes would be alive this way.”

Roy is struck silent by this. He can only look back at Wrath in shock. It sounded like she actually cared for Maes. He wonders if his ears are working. Wrath seems to realize what she had just said as well. She straightens herself. The silence between them is interrupted when they hear a new voice, “Wrath?”

Roy turns his head to see Fuhrer Gardner at the doorway leading to the meeting room. Wrath tersely says, “What is it?”

“There is a call for you.”

“Very well. Have Raven escort Mustang to the other room.”

* * *

After watching Roy leave the office, Wrath sits down behind the desk and takes a deep breath. The confrontation took a bigger toll than she expected. It had gone as she thought it would. She was prepared for Roy’s anger and shock. However, she did not anticipate how she would react to some of the things he had said.

His refusal to refer her as Riza had oddly stung more than it should have. His accusation of her part in Maes’s murder had deeply offended her, causing her to snap back.

She exhales and tries to contain the myriad of emotions swirling within her. Dammit, she shouldn’t be feeling this way. Her hands starts to tremble, angry at herself for being affected like this. She tries to calm herself down. She can’t keep the caller waiting. She picks up the phone from the desk and dials in the number. After a moment, Lust answers.

“Wrath,” she greets.

“Well?” Wrath says expectedly.

“There were complications, but the Elric boys are here.”

Wrath narrows her eyes, “What complications?”

“We’ll let you know after. Right now, Envy is taking them to you.”

“Fine, I’ll be ready.”

“Have you given Mustang’s punishment yet?”

“No, I’m waiting for the brothers to do that.”

“Good, because Havoc will no longer be necessary.” 

Havoc? What the hell happened when Lust arrived at the safe house? She’ll have to ask later since the brothers are coming soon. She says, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

After hanging up, she stands up from the chair. She takes another breath and calls for Gardner, who enters through the doorway.

“It’s time. Send the officers from the Personnel Bureau and make sure Havoc’s is held back. His is not needed anymore.”

He bows, “It will be done.”

With that, she leaves the Fuhrer’s office to join Roy in the other meeting room, not looking forward to what will come next.

* * *

“You saw my body?!” Alphonse shouts excitedly.

Edward nods as he scrubs his head, “Yep.”

His younger brother can barely contain his joy. On the other hand, Edward’s smile fades quickly, recalling the recent events that transpired. He holds his automail arm up and flexes the fingers. No holes. Perfectly repaired.

During the fight with Lust, her claw had pierced his prosthetic arm. It was a miracle that it hadn’t been rendered useless. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to transmute them out of Gluttony’s stomach. After finding the missing pieces of the mural from the Xerxesian ruins, he figured out a way to escape using Lust’s Stone as the toll. They ended up in an underground lair, where they met Alphonse, Gluttony, and Envy. They also met the man who created the homunculi. The man called Father, a copy of the deadbeat Hohenheim and the one behind everything going on.

Father fixed Edward’s arm and healed the cuts from the fight. His refusal to help Ling resulted in a fight with Gluttony and Envy, who transformed into their beastly form. Lust had stayed back and watched, having used most of her Stone’s energy. To their shock, Father had canceled out their alchemy and Ling…

Ling was turned into the homunculus Greed.

He tightens his hand into a fist. Ling has to still be in there.

“Brother, are you alright?”

Pulled from his thoughts, he takes a towel to dry his hair. He says, “I’m fine, Al. I’m just thinking about everything that’s happened.”

“Oh…”

Feeling terrible for dampening his brother’s mood, he decides to lighten up. He smiles and steps out of the shower, “At least we know that your body is still there. We’re one step…”

He trails off when he sees the weird cat on Alphonse’s shoulder. He asks, “Um, what is that doing here?”

Alphonse nervously answers, “Remember that girl who was with Scar?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, she got hurt in the fight. Scar and I agreed to get her out, so he led the chimeras away while I hid her in my armor.”

Edward stays silent for a moment before shouting, “She’s in your armor?!”

“Brother, stop yelling! And please, put on some pants!” Alphonse uses his hand to cover the cat’s face from the sight of Edward’s bare body.

Right then, Envy, in the disguise of a soldier, slams the door, “What’s taking so long?!”

They freeze when they see a mortified Edward and start screaming. Edward can only react by screaming as well.

* * *

After the disaster in the showers, Edward and Alphonse follow Envy down the hall. Edward finds himself becoming nervous with what’s to come, remembering what the Father guy ordered Envy to do.

“Take them to Wrath for their punishment,” he had said.

Punishment? What are they going to do? They certainly won’t kill him and his brother since they are considered important resources.

They stop at the doors to a meeting room. Envy turns to them, “Wrath will take over babysitting you now.”

Envy pushes the doors open. Edward and Alphonse cautiously enter the room and stop at what they see. They find Hawkeye and Mustang sitting at a round table. Hawkeye is calmly drinking her tea while Mustang looks over his shoulder to see the brothers.

Major Hawkeye… is Wrath. She truly is a homunculus…

He asks Mustang, “What’s going on here?”

Mustang sighs, “Where do I begin? Wrath and the homunculi are the ones who control the Fuhrer and the entire senior staff. She’s the one who framed Ross and shot Barry.”

The brothers look at Wrath in shock. The Fuhrer is just a figurehead? This is so much worse than they could have imagined. And Ross… she didn’t deserve what happened to her. Edward clenches his fists and glares at the homunculus.

Unfazed, Wrath gestures to the two empty seats next to Roy, “Take a seat, both of you. We have much to discuss.”

They warily sit down. Edward sees that there are no guards around and Wrath has only one sword within reach. She’s confident that she can take on all three of them and Edward has no doubt that she can do that.

_You’ve seen for yourself what she is capable of._

He straightens when he hears a cough from Alphonse’s armor. His brother immediately makes his own coughing noise to cover it while Edward hastily asks, “So what was that back in the hospital, when the Fuhrer visited us?”

“He told you to keep the matter to yourselves and not to trust anyone. The exact words I ordered him to say.”

He widens his eyes, “So if you’re the one who told him to give the order, then you’re the one behind the Dublith inspection, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that is true.”

At the mention of Dublith, Alphonse starts to shake in his seat. Edward stares at Wrath in disbelief, “You really had us fooled. How could you do this? We trusted you!”

Wrath looks back steadily, “Your decision to trust me was your own. I never asked you to do such a thing.”

He shuts his mouth, seeing that what she said is true. She never did such a thing. Remembering the reason for being here, he carefully asks, “Your Father mentioned some kind of punishment. What are going to do to us?”

Mustang, who had been quietly listening to the exchange, glances at Edward. It seems that this is the first time the Colonel is hearing about this. Wrath says, “We’re simply reminding you of your place and not to push us any further. The rest is up to you, Fullmetal Alchemist.”

Edward takes out his blood-stained pocket watch. He bitterly smiles to himself, “You were on the board that evaluated me in the state exam. You use the State Alchemist program to scope for potential sacrifices, don’t you?”

He pushes the watch, letting it slide across the table. It stops in front of her. He declares, “Whatever your punishment is, it won’t be necessary. I won’t let you use me for whatever sick plans you have. I resign my title as State Alchemist!”

Wrath looks down at the watch and warningly says, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

He ignores her and goes on, “I will stop you. I’ll warn the others. I’ll—“

“Winry Rockbell.”

Alphonse and Edward stiffen. Wrath continues, “I had the pleasure of meeting her once. She truly is a sweet girl. She told me about how you all grew up together and that you’re practically family. She told me about her grandmother Pinako who taught her about automail. I heard she’s gaining quite a reputation with her customers in Rush Valley.”

Edward stands up from his chair and slams his hands on the table, “You leave her alone!”

“That depends on you.” She slides the watch back to Edward. Staring at it, he grits his teeth, finally understanding what the punishment is. He slowly picks it up and puts it in his pocket.

Wrath nods in satisfaction. Fidgeting in his seat, Alphonse hesitantly says, “We won’t cause any more trouble, but could you allow us continue to find a way to get our bodies back? Please?”

She shrugs, “I have no problems with that. I wasn’t lying when I said I was hoping to see you both reach your goals.”

Alphonse slumps in relief while Edward frowns, remembering his first conversation with Wrath. She looks at Mustang, “Good, now that this is settled. Let’s discuss your punishment, Colonel.”

Mustang glares furiously at her, “What more could you do to me? You’ve done enough by taking her name and body.”

The brothers look at him in surprise. Edward wonders just how much Mustang had cared for the real Hawkeye. He glances at Wrath and is surprised to see her eye narrowed and the corner of her lips turned downward. It is as if she is bothered by Mustang’s statement. Seeing this reminds him of how Greed had hesitated when he mentioned Lan Fan during their fight. He decides to look into this later.

After a moment, Wrath says, “You still have a team to look after, don’t you?”

Mustang’s face starts to pale. Edward and Alphonse tense, afraid to hear what she will say next. She continues, “By now, they should have the memos from the Personnel Bureau.”

“What have you done?” Mustang asks weakly.

“On orders signed by Fuhrer Gardner, Vato Falman is to transfer to the North. Kain Fuery to the South. Heymans Breda to the West. Rebecca Catalina will be the Fuhrer’s personal assistant.”

All three look at her in shock. In one swoop, Mustang has lost his team. However, Wrath is not finished when she stands up from her chair, “And lastly, I will be reporting for duty as Colonel Roy Mustang’s personal adjutant.”

Mustang’s face is now white with his eyes wide. Edward drops his mouth open. Alphonse lets out a gasp. Wrath looks at Mustang.

“It seems that you finally have me watching your back, Colonel,” she says.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a shoutout to the talented caesurables, who I commissioned to make artwork of Wrath!Riza. She captured Wrath!Riza perfectly! Check out her tumblr!

Wrath does not give them the time to process what has happened and ends the meeting in a cold voice, “This new arrangement is expected to start in 48 hours, Colonel. Now that we’ve come to an understanding, we have nothing more to discuss.”

All three silently get up from their seats and head towards the doors. However, Wrath stops them, “Wait, Alphonse.”

When they turn to her, she swiftly unsheathes her sword and stabs through the leather patch on the side of Alphonse’s armor. Edward barely suppresses a gasp while his brother freezes in fear. After a moment, Wrath pulls her sword out and inspects it. There is no blood.

“Is that all?” Alphonse nervously asks.

She does not answer at first, turning her weapon to examine both sides of the blade to make sure there is not a spot of blood. Edward tries not to fidget. Finally, she sheathes it, “Yes, that is all. You are dismissed.”

They stiffly leave through the doors. When Mustang closes them, Edward loudly exhales as he places a hand on his chest, feeling his heart palpitating. Alphonse sags in relief.

“That was too close,” he whispers shakily. Edward nods in agreement. As he calms himself down, he knows the first thing he must do. He has to make sure Winry is okay. He digs through his pockets for change and finds that he has no money. He turns to Mustang, “Colonel, do you have any change?”

Edward does not expect to see Mustang in such a state. The Colonel’s face is still white. His eyes are wide, staring into space. His usual proud stance is gone with his shoulders slumped. He looks so… defeated.

Mustang does not make a comment of any sort. Instead, he wordlessly takes money out of his pocket, not giving Edward a glance. Unsettled, Edward slowly takes the change and says, “Thanks.”

When Mustang gives no reply, Edward shares a worried look with Alphonse. He’s going to have to check on his commanding officer later. But first, he has to call Winry. He runs down the halls to find the exit. His brother follows behind.

* * *

Roy faintly hears their footsteps, but he does not pay them any mind. He simply continues to stare at nothing. He feels numb, barely aware of his surroundings.

“Colonel?”

He blinks and sees Catalina before him. She has a panicked look. Armstrong is behind her, looking concerned. After getting his attention, she holds up the memo in her hand, “I just got assigned to be the Fuhrer’s assistant. The others got transferred. What’s going on?”

“How did you find me?” he asks softly.

“I’ve looked all over Central Command for you. I ran into Major Armstrong and he offered to help. Colonel, please tell us what happened.”

He looks at Catalina and Armstrong sadly. They deserve to know. He’ll have to take them somewhere private. He tells them, “Follow me.”

* * *

Wrath remains standing after they leave. There are muffled voices outside the door, but she does not move to see who they belong to. When she hears footsteps fade away, she finally breathes out.

The satisfaction she felt from the brothers’ compliance was cut off when Roy lashed out at her. Like his accusation of her part in Maes’s murder, what he said bothered her deeply. And so, she informed him of his subordinates’ transfers in retaliation.

She felt no victory when she saw the broken look on his face.

“Hey, Wrath!”

Shaken from her thoughts, she looks up to see Envy, in the disguise of a soldier, holding the door open.

“What are you standing there for? Father wants you to report to him!”

Steeling her nerves, she straightens herself and smooths out her uniform, “Fine, I’ll go now.”

* * *

The brothers sigh in relief as Edward puts the phone back onto the hook. Winry is okay. They haven’t done anything to her.

“You know, if you keep worrying like that, they’re just going to keep manipulating you.”

They jump at the sudden voice and see a familiar person standing next to the phone booth.

“Ling!” Edward yells.

He shakes his head and smiles proudly, “Nope, it’s Greed.”

Edward looks at Greed suspiciously, “Why are you here?”

The homunculus hands over a white cloth, “Your friend wanted me to bring this to you. He said to give it to some girl.”

“Lan Fan?” Edward looks at the cloth and sees that there is a message written in another language. He looks back up, “Is this some trick? Are you going to follow us and kill her?”

Greed sighs, “Look, kid, one thing about me is that I don’t fight women. Another thing is that I don’t tell lies, but it’s up to you to believe me.”

With that, he turns to leave. Remembering that he needs answers, Edward calls out, “Hey, Ling!”

“It’s still Greed!”

Edward groans in irritation before saying, “Greed, I have some questions for you!”

The homunculus stops and looks at Edward over his shoulder, “Do they have to do with our plans?”

When Edward shakes his head, Greed sighs and turns around to face the brothers, “Fine, I’ll answer only one question. Will that satisfy you?”

Better than none, so Edward nods eagerly. Greed says, “Okay, what do you want to know?”

“You said that Ling let you take his body.”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Is he still in there?”

Greed gives another sigh, “He’s fine. His soul is still intact if that makes you feel better.”

Edward narrows his eyes, “What do you mean by that?”

The homunculus raises his hand, holding up one finger, “I said only one question, kid.”

Growling in frustration, Edward says, “If you’re lying, I swear I’ll—“

A familiar voice comes out from Greed and interrupts him, “Ed, this is what I wanted! I’ll be okay!”

The brothers step back in surprise. They stare at Greed, who smiles as if nothing had happened.

“See? What did I tell you? He’s just waiting for any chance he can get. I hope this proves my rule about not lying. Anyways, I’ll see you later kid.” Greed turns and walks away. As he watches the homunculus walk farther from him, Edward can only think of one thing, giving him hope.

Ling is still in there, meaning that they can still save him.

* * *

“No… it can’t be. Major Hawkeye is a homunculus?!” Armstrong shouts in shock from the back seat of Roy’s car. Roy had taken Armstrong and Catalina to his car and drove them to a quiet street, where they could have more privacy. Inside his car, he explained everything that had happened.

Gripping the steering wheel, Roy says softly, “It’s true, Major. She has the Ouroboros on the eye under the patch.”

Armstrong looks down. His hands are trembling as he laments, “To think that my comrade is the one behind all that has happened. How could she do this? I trusted her. Brigadier General Hughes trusted her.”

Roy doesn’t answer. Instead, he looks at Catalina sitting beside him. She had been silent during his explanation. Her face is pale as her widened eyes stare out the front window of the car. She says, “You said that a Philosopher’s Stone was forced onto Riza and whatever that is took her body. It happened during the Ishvalan War, didn’t it?”

His fingers tighten around the wheel. He answers in a hoarse voice, “Yes.”

She starts to cry. Catalina covers her face with her hands, “That explains everything. Why she stopped keeping in touch. This whole time, she was gone. Taken away. And it all happened right under our noses. How could I have let this happen? I should’ve gone with her to the battlefield. Maybe, maybe I could have…”

Roy tries to hold back his own tears, feeling the exact way as her. The grief becomes even more acute when he remembers that he was in the same field as Riza when the explosion happened. He should have been the one to stop it.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he whispers. He and Armstrong stay silent as Catalina tries to quiet down her sniffles. She puts her hands down. Her eyes are red and puffy from the tears. Her voice is quivering when she asks, “What are we going to do now?”

From the rear view mirror, Roy watches Armstrong raise his head, resolve in his eyes.

“I turned away during the war when I should’ve protested the military’s actions. And now that I know who the ones in power are, I have to fight. I won’t be able live with myself if I ran away again,” Armstrong declares resolutely.

Roy feels a tinge of envy at Armstrong’s determination. He couldn’t muster up the motivation that had driven him in the past years after everything that had happened. Catalina looks at him, “Colonel, what about you? What do we do?”

How could she ask this? He failed Riza when he should have prevented her from being taken away. He failed his subordinates in his pursuit of the truth behind the military. Havoc is crippled while the rest are separated. He’ll be constantly reminded of his failures by having the homunculus carrying Riza’s face as his adjutant. He doesn’t want to lower Catalina’s morale more than it already is.

So he gives no answer.

* * *

Down in Father’s underground lair, Lust finishes telling what had happened while Wrath was waiting for the brothers, “After Envy and Greed caught them, Father sent them to you.”

Wrath looks at her incredulously, “You got swallowed by Gluttony?”

“Yes.”

“And then escaped from his stomach?”

“That’s exactly what happened.”

Raising a brow, Wrath says, “I find that hard to believe.”

Lust simply shrugs, “The old Greed did say that anything is possible.”

“You have learned everything that has occurred, Wrath,” Father says from his throne. Wrath and Lust both stiffen. They can tell that he is getting impatient. He continues, “Tell me all that has happened on your end.”

“With some encouragement, the brothers agreed to comply. Mustang, on the other hand, did not put up much of a fight when I revealed his punishment.”

Father nods, satisfied with her report. Wrath glances at Lust beside her. She sees that Lust is looking at her with a smile. It is not flirtatious as usual. No, she is smiling as if she knows something that Wrath does not. Before Wrath can think more on it, Father stands up from his throne, “Good, we have no more obstacles. Now, I must regenerate your Stone, Lust. You used up most of its energy.”

Lust grimaces as she nods. Father looks at Wrath, “And I want you to meet the new Greed. He is on the roof of Central Command.”

She bows her head, “Yes, Father.”

Father gestures for Lust to follow him. Before she does so, Lust places a hand on Wrath’s shoulder. She leans in, placing her lips uncomfortably close to Wrath’s ear. She whispers, “We’ll talk later. I learned a _very_ interesting development.”

Wrath tries not to frown. As she walks away, Lust trails her hand down Wrath’s arm. She releases it when she reaches the wrist. She gives her seductive smile over her shoulder before going to catch up to Father.

After a minute, Wrath goes to leave the lair and enters the tunnels. She heads towards the elevator that takes her back up into headquarters. As she waits inside, she feels unsettled. What did Lust find out while retrieving Gluttony? Did it have to do with Roy? Her grip on her sword tightens at what had possibly happened in the confrontation. It doesn’t help that she won’t be able to find out until Father fixes Lust.

She hears a ding, indicating that the elevator has arrived at her destination. The doors open, revealing the rooftop. She sees the new Greed sitting on the edge, watching the view before him. She takes a deep breathe, pushing her feelings away. Then, she steps out and walks towards him.

She makes herself known by asking, “How is that new body, Greed?”

He turns his head to look at her over his shoulder. It takes effort for Wrath not to freeze when she sees his face. She recognizes it. It belongs to the young man that she fought with alongside Gluttony. Recalling his insult back in the abandoned building, the feeling of discomfort returns. When Lust told her that Greed was remade, she didn’t specify who his new host is.

He gives a wide smile, “So you must be Wrath. This body is perfect. Get this, the kid is a prince of Xing! And the best part is that he let me take his body! He thought that I could make him emperor. How ambitious.”

“Is that so?” Wrath says, not letting her uneasiness show. She wants this conversation to end quickly. This is getting too much for her, especially with the earlier confrontation with Roy.

“He keeps me on my toes though. He takes any opportunity he can find to get some control.”

She looks at him in surprise, “His soul is still in there?”

This is new. She never heard of something like this happening before. Greed continues to smile, unbothered by this predicament, “Yep. As long as I have control for the most part, I’m okay with this.”

Wrath stares at him, mulling over what he had said. Then, she turns around and starts walking back to the elevator. As she nears it, she says, “Let’s hope that the boy doesn’t interfere with our work.”

She feels relief when the doors close. She hopes that she won’t see much of Greed after this.

* * *

As Greed watches Wrath leave, he thinks to himself that it’s a shame that she is one of his siblings. If she was human, he would have tried to convince her to become a possession. After all, he wants all of the women in the world. He hears the kid’s voice, loud and clear over the roar of the souls.

“_There’s something odd about her_.”

Greed’s curiosity piques, “Why is that?”

“_Her presence… it’s different._”

“Presence?”

“I can sense a homunculus’s presence,” the kid explains. Greed is impressed. The kid is a prince _and_ he can tell when a homunculus is nearby? Greed wonders if there are more things to learn about his new host. What is his name again? Oh right, the Fullmetal kid called him Ling.

Ling continues, “_She carries the same multiplicity as the others. And yet, her presence seems to be muted compared to theirs._”

This is getting even more interesting by the second. Greed asks, “Have you ever figured out why?”

“_I think so. When I met Lust, Gluttony, and Envy, they all practically radiated bloodlust. She, on the other hand, does not._”

Greed wonders what this could imply. He decides to keep this new knowledge to himself. It doesn’t seem to benefit or harm Father’s plans.

Besides, people say that knowledge is power and Greed wants all the power in the world.

* * *

In the evening, Edward decides to take a walk in the city to think of the day’s events. Alphonse went to take the little girl to Dr. Knox and to deliver the white cloth to Lan Fan. Edward spent the rest of the day fixing the damage caused from his fight with Scar. While doing so, he learned something new from the MPs.

He and Alphonse weren’t the only ones affected by whatever the Father guy did. Other alchemists weren’t able to use their alchemy as well. Only Scar and the girl were able to use theirs. That must mean what they’re doing is different. It looks like he’s going to have them teach it to him. It’ll give him a chance against Father.

He’s also going to have to figure out a way to save Ling. But how? At least, his soul is still in there. Edward reminds himself to do some research.

And then there’s Wrath… he doesn’t know what to feel anymore with the sting of betrayal still fresh. It is difficult to reconcile the Major Hawkeye who supposedly helped them with the homunculus who casually threatened to harm Winry.

Edward stops in his tracks, his fists clenching. She was human once. She should know that this isn’t right. What was she even like before she was turned into a homunculus? Was she always like this? There seems to be only one person who knew the old Hawkeye.

Mustang.

* * *

Roy silently unlocks the door to this apartment. He had just gotten back from dropping Armstrong off at Central Command and then Catalina at the hospital. She wanted to visit Havoc. Despite her insistence, Roy refused to accompany her. He couldn’t face Havoc after everything. It would become too much for him to handle.

He hears barks greeting him. His dog, Black Hayate, bounds over to him. Sensing his owner’s emotional state, the dog stops and whines. After closing the door, Roy collapses down to the floor, leaning his back against the wall. Black Hayate sits in front of him, looking at him worriedly.

As he raises his hand to pet the dog, Roy smiles sadly, “She was gone this whole time, boy.”

He only receives another whine in response.

Roy remembers the looks people would give him when he told them what his dog’s name is. He could tell that they were questioning his choice. He never told them that he named his dog Black Hayate with Riza in mind.

She had always wanted one when they were young but her father would never allow it. She told him that she would imagine having a dog named Black Hayate. He remembers staring blankly at her before telling her that she had no naming sense.

He smiles fondly at the memory of her confused expression when he said that. The smile disappears, remembering the situation. He gets back up and goes to his living room with Black Hayate following him. He slumps down onto the couch, exhaustion finally catching up to him. Before he knows it, he closes his eyes.

* * *

_He blinks and looks around at his surroundings. He sees the endless sand going on for miles. There are remnants of buildings rising above it. He knows where he is. He’s in Ishval. _

_No… this is the last place he ever wants to be._

_He sees that he is not alone. There is a person sitting on the ground several feet away. Curious to see who it is, Roy starts walking towards them. Hearing his approach, the person shifts to look at him. He stops._

_It is Riza. Or is it Wrath?_

_They stare at each other as Roy asks, “Are you Riza or Wrath?”_

_She shrugs, “Who do you think I am?”_

_He studies her face before answering, “You’re Riza. You don’t have the Ouroboros on your eye.”_

_“Then I suppose I am Riza,” she murmurs. She turns her head away from him and continues to watch the landscape before her. Roy takes note of her appearance. She looks exactly as she did before the explosion. She is wearing the white coat used during the war. Her hair is short and her eyes…_

_They are those of a killer’s. _

_He drops down to his knees, looking at the ground in horror. This is what she looked like before she was taken. _

_“I’m sorry,” he whispers. She does not react but he does not let that discourage him. He continues, “I was the reason why you enlisted. I should’ve kept my mouth shut that day at Master’s funeral. I shouldn’t have told you of my naïve dreams. I could have protected you this way just as I promised to myself and your father…”_

_He raises his head to look at her, “I’m the reason why this happened to you. If I had just kept quiet, you wouldn’t have become a killer and you wouldn’t have been used by the homunculi. I’m so sorry, Riza, I’m so sorry…”_

_She does not move at first, keeping her back towards him. Then, she starts to stand up. Roy watches her, afraid to hear what she will say. However, after she gets up from the ground, she speaks as if she never heard Roy’s apology, “I have to go now.”_

_She begins to walk away from him. Fear overtakes Roy. He watched her walk to her doom on the day of the explosion. He can’t let it happen again. He tries to get up. To his dismay, he finds that he is unable to move from his spot. _

_He tries to stop her by shouting in panic, “Riza! Don’t go! Please!”_

_She stops. There is anger in her voice, “Why should I listen to _you_ of all people, Roy?”_

_Finally, she turns around to face him. There is now a scar running down the left side of her face. The brown iris on her eye is replaced by the Ouroboros. _

_Before he can say or do anything, he hears barking from a distance…_

* * *

Roy gasps as he shoots up from the couch. He breaths heavily, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He then realizes that he just had a dream. One even worse than usual.

He notices that Black Hayate is barking from the hallway. Someone must be at the door. He sighs as he gets up. This is not the best time for visitors. He enters to see his dog jumping at the door excitedly. When he opens it, Black Hayate leaps at the guest, who yells as they fall backwards. Roy frowns in confusion when he sees who it is.

“Fullmetal?”

* * *

Edward groans as Black Hayate pants happily on top of him. He says, “Hey, Colonel. Am I disturbing you?”

“No… no, not at all, Fullmetal.”

He can see that Mustang is surprised at his appearance. Mustang tells his dog, “Black Hayate, get off, boy.”

The dog obediently hops off of Edward. Mustang asks, “What brings you here?”

Edward picks himself up from the floor. He scratches the back of his head sheepishly, “I wanted to see if you were okay… and I have some questions. I know it’s not the best time. I can leave now if you want.”

After a beat, Mustang holds the door wider. Edward gratefully follows him into the apartment. When they enter the living room, Mustang says, “Let me freshen up in the bathroom first. You wait here.”

Edward nods as Mustang leaves the room. While he waits, he looks around the room. There is a couch along with boxes lined up against the wall. It looks like the Colonel didn’t have time to unpack from his move to Central. He notices that there are pictures hanging on the wall. He goes to inspect them.

There is one of Mustang and Hughes, both with wide smiles as they each have an arm around the other. Edward feels a twinge from seeing Hughes once more. Another shows a young Mustang with a dark-haired woman who could be his mother. The last one is what takes Edward by surprise. In the photo is Mustang as a teenager with a goofy smile. Besides him is a girl who looks a few years younger. She has short, blond hair with bangs swept to the side. She looks so much like…

…Hawkeye?

He stares at the picture, wide-eyed. Mustang knew Hawkeye from that long ago? He looks at her left eye. There is no Ouroboros, proof of her former life as a human. Edward feels himself reeling. The girl looks so unlike the Hawkeye (or Wrath, it’s getting confusing at this point for Edward) that he had come to know. The girl in the picture has a soft smile, her eyes gentle.

When he hears a door open, Edward steps away from the photos. Mustang enters the room, “Sorry that I took a while.”

“Oh no, it’s okay, Colonel.”

Mustang gives him a puzzled look before going to the kitchen next to the living room, “Do you want some coffee?”

“Sure.” Edward sits down at the dining table. The next few minutes are spent with Mustang making the coffee as Edward patiently waits. The Colonel comes to the table with two mugs, handing one to Edward.

“Thanks,” Edward says. Mustang nods as he sits on the chair across.

“So what did you want to ask?”

Edward shifts his feet, “After today, I don’t know what to think anymore. I keep thinking about what Hawkeye had done to help us, but then I have to remind myself that she’s one of them and that she threatened to hurt Winry. You and Lust mentioned her being human once. I was wondering if you could tell me what she was like before all this.”

Mustang stares at him, contemplating his request. Afraid that he overstepped, Edward hastily says, “You don’t have to do it if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“No, you deserve to know, Fullmetal. You should know what the real Riza Hawkeye was like.”

“And what was she like?”

Staring down at his mug, Mustang’s eyes are distant as he says, “She was quiet and preferred to keep to herself. She always put the ones she cared for before herself. Despite the situation she was in when we met, Riza handled it without complaint even though she had every right to.”

“When did you meet her?”

“We were children at the time. Her father was the one who taught me alchemy.”

Edward blinks in surprise. So they truly had known each other for that long. He looks down at his own mug, thinking about the woman that Mustang had described. It felt surreal to learn about this Hawkeye from a time that has long passed. He says softly, “I wish I got to know her.”

Mustang tightens his hold on his mug, “She was a good friend.”

He feels that he should end the conversation right now, but there is so much more he has to know. He asks tentatively, “Lust seemed to have known about the old Hawkeye. She said that Hawkeye was not exactly innocent before she was chosen. Is that true? Was Lust lying?”

Mustang doesn’t give an immediate answer, staying quiet as he continues to stare at his mug. Edward becomes nervous again, thinking that he must have offended his commanding officer. To his surprise, Mustang says in a hush voice, “It’s true.”

Edward becomes confused. It didn’t make any sense to him. “But how? After everything you said about Hawkeye…”

Finally, Mustang raises his head to look at him, “Hawkeye took part in the Ishvalan War. She was a sniper and her job was to shoot down any Ishvalans she could find. Before she was taken away, Hawkeye was steadily gaining fame for her skills.”

Horrified, Edward stutters out, “Then if she did all that even before she was turned into a homunculus, how could you say all these positive things about her?”

“I don’t have the right to judge, Fullmetal. After all, I’ve done so much worse in the war and I was the one responsible of her joining the military. I am why she was taken away in the first place.”

Realizing that there is more to the story, Edward asks, “Can I ask about everything about her before and during Ishval? Would that be alright?”


End file.
